Returning from MotoGP to Moto2 this year, the Briton was marked by his year in the premier category and must now relearn certain things to ride at the front. Having struggled since the start of the season, he is still aiming for the top places and remains confident for the races to come.
Sam Lowes currently only occupies eighteenth place in the Moto2 World Championship within the Swiss Innovative Investors team, while his young teammate Iker Lecuona is tenth. Yet still at the forefront since Qatar, he unfortunately encountered difficulties and lost valuable points for the Championship.
The Briton began 2018 with a crash in Qatar, before finishing thirteenth in Argentina, twenty-fourth in Texas, eighth in Jerez and thirteenth at Le Mans. Results below his expectations, as he explained in an interview with speedweek : “Last year was really difficult for me. It's not easy to readjust my riding style to Moto2. I felt fast every weekend, but the races didn't go as planned. Being fast on a technical track like Mugello shows that you are strong, but the first few races didn't go as I expected. I remain convinced that we can be ahead. »
In addition, his time in MotoGP has left its mark, and he must feel completely strong to hope to be able to play up front again: “When for a year you are not able to fight against other drivers, you lose confidence in fights. I also lost confidence in the front end of my machine last year, and need to get it back. It's difficult to regain your mentality after such a year. Even though my season in MotoGP had its positive sides, especially off the track, I am more than happy to be back in the Moto2 category, on a good bike, in a good team. My rehabilitation has taken longer than I thought, but I am relaxed because I know the results will come. »
Lowes is aware of not having had a good season in the premier category, but believes that it was not entirely his fault: “In MotoGP, as in all sports, it is the results that count. However, if you don't have the best team or the best bike, you are quickly seen as less good, when that is not the case. Look at Aprilia. Since I left, they haven't been stronger. It's obvious that I wasn't the problem. »
It is true that the Italian team has encountered major technical problems on Aleix Espargaró's machine since the start of the season. The other driver, Scott Redding, is not doing much better than Sam Lowes last year, and will leave the team at the end of the season, replaced by Andrea Iannone. Lowes, however, does not wish to comment: “Aprilia letting me go was the best thing that ever happened to me. I don't particularly look at what the team does and I don't think anything of it. I don't have a negative opinion. Sometimes there's just nothing to say. »
