You are here

MotoGP, Alex Lowes: M1? the best 15 laps of my life

VIDEO. The Brit is pleased despite a crash: "the biggest difference from the SBK is the power"

Alex Lowes - Brno MotoGP Test
Iscriviti al nostro canale YouTube

Share


You never forget your first time and Alex Lowes will clearly never forget his 15 laps on the M1. The SBK rider enjoyed a brief test on the Yamaha MotoGP of team Tech3 as a prize for having won the Suzuka 8 Hours.

The Brit went out on track during the last hour and didn't do at all badly. He hadn't ridden at the Czech track for a long while and 15 laps are not enough to get to grips with a prototype, but finishing a little over 4 seconds from Lorenzo was a good result.

"Obviously this was one of the best days of my life!  - he says - From when you‘re a kid you dream about an opportunity to ride a MotoGP bike and it was fantastic. Obviously I didn‘t do too many laps, but the feel of the bike was incredible. The power of the bike and the way that it turns was everything that I expected and even more than that, so it was an incredible experience."

The difference between the R1 and M1 is more than just a letter.

"The brakes and the tyres are quite a lot different from a WorldSBK bike, but the biggest difference is the power - he confirms - when I came from my first lap onto the straight I felt the engine‘s full power and it was amazing, I couldn‘t believe how fast it was".

It wasn't just the horsepower that struck him.

The YZR-M1 is so nimble and agile, it's a big step compared to what I have been used to. I have no experience of anything like this before and the way you go from one side to the other, it‘s like you are on a bicycle, it is really easy."

There was a small setback though, a crash just before he came back to the pits.

I‘m so sorry for the crash, but honestly I really enjoyed the experience and it‘s a day I will remember for the rest of my life. The crash took place towards the end of the day and obviously the reason was because I tried to push a bit too much without understanding everything. I braked a bit more and lifted the rear a bit, went a little wide and the track was a bit dirty and I lost the front. It was only a small crash but I‘m really about it. Honestly, it was a fantastic experience and I really enjoyed it, even if I did only 15 laps, they were the best 15 laps I've ever ridden."

The video below summarises Alex's day.

Translated by Heather Watson
__

Related articles