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He achieved his objective once again this time. Alex Lowes leaves Phillip Island with a fourth place finish in Race 2. The Yamaha rider tried everything he could to finish on the podium, but tenths of a second made the difference.
“It was a good race. Unfortunately, in the finale I struggled more because of the tyres, but I am very enthusiastic about what was done. This opening round at Phillip Island will definitely give me great confidence in view of Thailand.”
Where you thinking about the podium?
“I was dreaming of the podium for the entire race, but Rea, Davies and Melandri had another pace. My compliments to them for their performance.”
How did you feel with the tyres?
“As for the tyres, I must say that I felt very good with them. Maybe we struggled just in the final two laps since I was suffering going into the corners. The bike performed well, finding the sensitivity that was needed.”
Will you try again in two weeks?
“To be honest, the bike was competitive. Maybe I need to do something more, but in Thailand the podium is possible.”
Behind him was Xavi Forés. A weekend on an upward trend for the Spaniard, who left his troubles from Friday behind in Race 2. There is a smile on his face, but more than anything, he is aware that the Ducati is clearly improving.
“At the end I thought I could make a play for the podium, but in the finale I was at the limit with the front. It was nice to stay in the lead in the early laps, showing that I am fast even in terms of pace. I can go home with a big smile on my face.”
Did the Ducati astonish you?
“When I arrived in Melbourne I never would have believed that I could be this competitive. We have the bike and the team working well, but we need to be consistent with our performance. If all the races were like this all the way to the end, I would be particularly satisfied.”
How has the Panigale grown?
“I must say that I found a very easy handling bike, although I need to do something more in the braking sections, because in hard braking I struggled a lot. The Panigale showed that it has a great engine, allowing me to overtake easily on the straight.”
What are your sensations as you head to Thailand?
“Chang is very different from Australia. We will probably struggle a bit more, but we need to bring home as many points as possible. At Aragón everything will be different because I like the track and I have always been competitive there. The Ducati is competitive and I need to be too.”
Today the inverted grid made its début. What did you think of it?
“I must say that I like it, especially for the privateer teams. It gives us more visibility, although it’s anything but simple to stay out front.”
Just after the start today, it seemed like you might have pulled away.
“Unfortunately no. It would have been very difficult. Luckily, I didn’t get stuck in the group like yesterday. I just wanted to push from the start in order to get away from those behind me.”
