Sam Lowes returned to his first love in Grand Prix by reconnecting with Moto2 whose mission will be to restore his image. The Supersport World Champion boasts three victories and eight pole positions in the category from 2014 to 2016. This before joining MotoGP this year on behalf of the Aprilia factory. A failure since five points were scored in eighteen meetings marked by numerous falls. This time it's on a KTM that he is going to do his job. And the English already love it…
The meeting between the Briton and the Austrian took place in Jerez where the intermediate categories of the Grands Prix began their off-season. An exercise marked in Moto2 by the rise in power of a KTM that the paddock discovered last year and which, after three victories collected during the last three events, including two doubles, is now of great interest to the protagonists of the discipline.
Ajo will continue with the Mattighofen coat of arms which also has an agreement with the former Kieffer structure while Marc VDS Racing is under discussion. But for Fred Corminboeuf's CGBM Evolution team, KTM is indeed a reality. Sam Lowes, new spearhead of the team after the rise of Tom Luthi in MotoGP took it upon himself to discover the one who cuts croupiers at Kalex. And the twin brother of Alex who competes in Superbike is more than reassured about his choice… “ everything went well and it's probably my best day of the year » he commented not without irony on his first day of testing.
« The first laps in the morning were a real change but then I progressed quite quickly. After all, I'm more experienced at 600cc than 1cc. I rediscovered the steel clutch and brake discs. I'm having a bit of difficulty with the front of the bike, but maybe it's also because I'm still too stiff when riding it.."
« But otherwise, everything is fine, relations with the team are good as well as with my teammate and we feel that I am respected. I think we will have a good season and I will improve during the second day. Because the KTM is fantastic. She is very agile and she uses her rear tire very well. After 30 laps, on a worn tire I was still only a tenth from my best time ».
In Moto2, Sam Lowes drove for Speed-Up and Kalex. It will therefore now be a KTM which promises to be formidable. He finished this first day of testing tenth, 1.1s behind the best time set by the best 2017 beginner in the category, bagnaia.
Chronos Test Jerez J.1: Moto2
1. Francesco Bagnaia (Kalex) 1:41,873 min
2. Alex Marquez (Kalex) 1:42,166
3. Miguel Oliveira (KTM) 1:42,314
4. Luca Marini (Kalex) 1:42,389
5. Brad Binder (KTM) 1:42, 480
6. Isaac Vinales (Kalex) 1:42,608
7. Mattia Pasini (Kalex) 1:42,787
8. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Kalex) 1:42,846
9. Fabio Quartararo (Speed Up) 1:42,874
10. Sam Lowes (KTM) 1:42,973
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