Alex Lowes: “I’m riding as good as I’ve ever ridden”
Alex Lowes is currently enjoying his best season in WorldSBK, lying fourth in the riders’ standings and with two wins
2024 has been Alex Lowes’ best season to date in WorldSBK, and the British rider feels he’s riding as well as he ever has.
The 2013 British Superbike Champion had to wait until 2018 for his first WorldSBK win, that coming in Brno. The second came at Phillip Island in 2020 in his first race for Kawasaki, but this year at the Australian track the #22 doubled his overall tally. Five more podiums have followed since round one, and Lowes has only crashed out of two races this season. Such consistency leaves him fourth in the championship, and only 20 points behind the reigning champion Alvaro Bautista.
“The start of 2024 season’s been good for me,” Lowes reflected to WorldSBK.com. “We started the year strongly, winning a couple of races, and this really set us up with some confidence. When we came back to Europe, we’ve been strong.
“I’ve been enjoying it a lot and it’s been a solid and consistent start to the year. This year, I’m enjoying my riding as much as ever. I think I’m riding as good as I’ve ever ridden. I think I’m doing a good job with the bike, the package, and the team. I would say I’m in one of my best moments.”
2024 has brought major change for Lowes, despite remaining with the same manufacturer. As Jonathan Rea departed Kawasaki for Yamaha at the end of 2023, Lowes not only welcomed a new teammate to the KRT, but also stepped across to the side of the garage which was previously occupied by Rea.
While Lowes says that “I quite enjoyed being teammates with Jonathan,” he’s also relishing the chance to work with the crew chief that took Rea to six straight WorldSBK crowns: Pere Riba.
“Working with the new guys in the team has been great,” he said. “With Pere, it’s a different way of working: he’s been there, racing in the past, so he really tries to help me on that side; the sporting side, riding side and mental side let’s say.”
For Lowes, it’s the atmosphere within his team that is allowing him to get the best from himself.
“It’s easier to enjoy when it’s going well,” he said, “but I believe — and it will happen — the weekends where it’s not going as well, we have a really good team atmosphere to make sure we maximise the best results we can get which is part of the game.”
The other change for Lowes in 2024 has been welcoming his brother, Sam Lowes, back to the WorldSBK paddock after 10 seasons racing Grands Prix.
“It’s great to have Sam in the paddock,” Lowes said. “Obviously, he’s had a tough couple of races but if we can be fighting at the front, this will be better.
It’s great to share the track together; it’s what we dreamed about doing since we were kids. Our dream is trying to be on the podium together at some point in the World Championship, so we have to keep working hard for this.”
