Sam Lowes opens up to Palmen in Motorradsport (Part 1)

Not everyday you have the chance to interview a rider who was Supersport World Champion, scored multiple race wins and podiums in the Moto2 World Championship, raced one season in MotoGP and currently competes and scores podiums in the FIM Superbike World Championship.

But this is what happened: during the Dutch Round in Assen, Palmen in Motorradsport had the chance to interview Sam Lowes, rider of the ELF Marc VDS Racing Team in the WorldSBK (also racing with his twin brother Alex Lowes). Together, we had a long and interesting chat, that we are dividing in two parts.

In Part 1, Sam talked about the 2026 season, his time so far in the WorldSBK, the early stages of his career and the seasons from 2011 to 2016, including his title in World Supersport and his first win in Moto2.

Sam, what do you expect in general from the 2026 season?

It's now my third year in the World Superbike. It's been really important for me to learn the category and learn how to ride a Superbike properly, since it's a big change from Moto2. Obviously, with Ducati being the best bike and with a team that I know really well, I feel we can be confident, we can be fast and we can fight for some important results.

Which you've done already so far, scoring a few podiums in 2025. And you also scored three 3rd-place finishes this year in Assen...

I'm really happy with how it went there. Race 1 took place in strange conditions, when it started to rain and this made it a little bit closer. I think third place was my position with the pace I had, and we tried and improve some things ahead of Sunday races.

In the end, Sunday was a decent day as well. I was the third best on track, so I wasn't too far, but the two riders in front of me (Nicolò Bulega and Iker Lecuona, ed) were a bit faster and I feel I missed a little bit. I need to look where I can improve to take the fight to them. Still it was a very positive weekend and my first time having three podiums in World Superbike on the same weekend.

Do you think it's realistic to fight for the win during the 2026 season?

Yes, I think for me to get my first Superbike win is realistic. There will be some tracks that will suit me better than the first rounds. Coming to tracks I feel good at like Balaton Park and Motorland Aragon, I'm sure I can take the fight more to the riders in front. We need to continue scoring podiums, keep doing a solid job and understand a bit more the new bike, but yeah...That first victory needs to happen!

Did you expect to be in the top 5 in Portimão, coming back from the injury suffered at the opening round in Australia?

I felt quite good on the bike, but I was struggling for the distance. If you had asked me if I could finish in the top five in Portugal, I would have said maybe not. But then, you always find a way to make it happen. I was pleased with the weekend: three 5th-place finishes are nothing to be really happy about, but in the condition I was in, it was a very good weekend. I'm really proud of it.

As you reminded at the beginning, this is your third year in WorldSBK. Compared to when you started back in 2024, what do you still need to work on to make another step? And where do you feel you have improved the most?

I think the biggest thing is the riding style. I'm still riding the bike too much based on corner speed, and struggling especially in long braking areas from long straights: I still miss a bit in the first half of braking, and I need to work on it. But, overall, I've improved a lot and worked well to understand the tyres, which are quite different, and the weight of the bike and three-race weekend as well. I think I am now riding the Superbike machine in the correct way, but it still takes a little bit of time to make the final step.

Could you now tell more about your first steps in motorcycle racing?

I did some motocross before, because in the UK it's difficult to do circuit racing until you're a certain age, but when I was 12 or 13 years old I had my first ride on a circuit. I did the Superteen championship in England, just with my family, and then I moved to the British 125cc Championship and then to the Supersport class, between 16 and 18 years of age. In 2010 I managed to win the British Supersport Championship and I did it with my first "proper" team, since before that I was just riding for a family team run by my parents.

You also did a few races in the European Superstock 600 Championship.

Yes, in 2008. But I was still quite young and it didn't go well (except when he finished 6th at Donington Park, ed), so after that I went back to England and tried to improve a bit. Back in the days, I was working a lot for my dad and meanwhile I was trying to be a racer, although it looked like it was a long way from the dream of being a professional racer. Then, when I won the title in British Supersport, I had the chance to come to World Supersport in 2011, which was a big shock for me. However, I made constant progress until finishing third in 2012 and becoming World Champion in 2013. That changed the round a lot for me then.

What are your main memories from the 2013 season?

I had a really good year battling with Kenan Sofuoglu, a legend of Supersport who, as we know, won many championships in that category. I had a really nice team and probably one of the best bikes I've ever ridden (Yamaha R6 lined up by Yakhnich Motorsport, ed). A special memory is from when I got my first win, which was in Assen after a great battle with Sofuoglu and with lots of people watching us.

That title gave me the opportunity to go to Moto2, and I probably never thought I would have the chance to be a Grand Prix rider. The fact that such title let me jump across to Moto2, it was something massive for my career.

Any other special memory from that year?

One is when I won by quite a big distance at Donington Park, which is literally my home round since I live really close to that circuit. Moreover, it was special when we raced in Istanbul: I finished second, but the atmosphere was amazing thanks to all the supporters of Sofuoglu. On the grid, I couldn't even hear my mechanics, because the fans were all cheering for him. He won the race, but it was a really close fight and it was nice for me to be part of it.

You then moved to the Moto2 World Championship in 2014, with Speed Up.

Yes, I spent two years with them. The first year was a learning one, but it was already good. It was tough and I especially had a hard time learning the new tracks, because there's not so much track time in Moto2. I still scored some good results, like when I finished 6th in Qatar.

In 2015, you got your first win in Moto2 in Austin. What do you remember from that day?

Honestly, it was a tough weekend as well, but I remember just a massive amount of emotion, relief and pride. Only three or four years before, I was working with my dad, and then I was winning Grand Prix races instead. It's a massive thing. Nowadays, if you're not 16, 17 and already in Grand Prix, it's difficult to arrive. For me, to do that when I was working at 19 or 20, and then winning a Grand Prix at 24, it was a massive feeling for me. It's probably my best achievement until today, I would say.

Part 2 coming soon...