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A quick look back at the recent year before focusing on the upcoming 2018 season: Alex Lowes has had a tough 2017, during which he rode the R1 in WorldSBK but also in the Suzuka 8 Hours, where he won along with Nakasuga and Van Der Mark.
Alex achieved his first world podiums back in 2014, a season in which he rode the Suzuki GSX-R 1000 with team Voltcom Crescent and, with the same team - now with Yamaha - the Brit reached the top three at his home track of Donington, in the heat of Misano, at the Magny-Cours track and also at the Losail night race.
He didn't win a race, but Alex is satisfied with his results: “I consider it a positive season as I achieved interesting results. Sure, if I have to be honest, I would have liked to win races and battle with Jonathan Rea. Particularly towards the end of the season, I was fast and fairly pleased with the results achieved with the team Pata R1”.
Do you think it's impossible to beat Rea and the Kawasaki?
“It's definitely not impossible! I think if there's one rider who can beat Rea, it's me. I will work hard all winter along with the Yamaha team in order to prepare, I think 2018 will bring a lot of surprises and I can already win at the opening Phillip Island round”.
A 2018 championship that will also bring a new technical regulation…
“The aim of the new regulation is to bring the performance of all bikes on the grid closer together, and I think that is only fair: we will finally be able to see a lot of hard-fought races, I hope so at least, as do the fans. I feel confident and positive, I have a great team and ride a competitive bike. We'll see what happens”.
You've won two in a row - will you compete at Suzuka again?
“I'm not sure yet but if the call comes from Japan I'll head over there with the aim of winning the 8 Hours, probably with my team-mate Michael Van Der Mark”.
Your contract with Yamaha expires at the end of 2018, will you consider other offers?
“My 2018 goal is to win World Superbike with the Yamaha R1, this is the aim of the whole team. If this is possible, I'll be very happy. If not, I'll look for other solutions but, I repeat, I want to try and win withYamaha”.
In 2016 Alex also took part in the British and Misano MotoGP races with the M1 of team Tech3. We have to ask if he dreams of a future in the top class: “um, not particularly. My results in Superbike meet with my expectations, but I would only want to head to MotoGP having won in Superbike. We'll see what the future brings but, for now, I'm focused on achieving my goals in Superbike”.
What does it take to be competitive in MotoGP?
“Having racing with team Tech3's Yamaha M1, I've seen how it is in MotoGP. I know what the championship level is like and the value of the riders. Those who reach a top team have fun and can be competitive but I don't think the other guys competing with the smaller teams have as much fun, because finishing every race twelfth or fifteenth is not a dream result. The best in the world are winning but the rest are plodding along. I'd prefer to be the best in Superbike than one of many in MotoGP”.
