After a lot of interest, it’s now been announced where Sam Lowes (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) will be riding in 2018 – for CarXpert Interwetten in Moto2™. That pencils him in as an immediate title favourite, having already challenged for the Championship and won races, so motogp.com caught up with the Brit after Silverstone to debrief his home race, the future, and what he’s focused on for the remainder of 2018.
First things first, how was your first home race on a MotoGP™ bike?
Sam Lowes: “Silverstone you can split into two things. It’s no secret that the season’s not going the best for me but to get there and see the support is amazing. I had a lot of people behind me, I lot of people supporting me there and it really filled me with a lot of motivation and emotion. So that was nice. Then riding a MotoGP bike around Silverstone is certainly an experience and it’s good fun. The track’s quite bumpy now so that definitely brings in some new issues. Pace wise I was quite competitive for the group in front of me and we could have got in the points, which would have been lovely in the British GP. The weekend as a whole I really enjoyed, and feeling the support. I didn’t know what to expect really, but I almost felt more support than normal and that’s fantastic. It made me feel really good, and looking towards the future it’s something on my bucket list. I’ve been close in the two previous years to winning the British Grand Prix and that’s definitely something where I want to come back next year and pay the fans back.”
Next year is now signed and sealed and you’re joining CarXpert Interwetten in Moto2™. Is that a weight off your mind?
SL22: “When it was announced that I wasn’t staying at Aprilia, I had quite a lot of interest and a lot of people telling me they believe I could win the Moto2 Championship. So that was a nice feeling. It’s always nice to get a deal signed, you feel better about things – but I have a job to do this year. But it takes a little bit of pressure off and I can focus on the last six races. I want to try and get some important results between now and the end of the year and leave with my head held high. If I can get some good results, show I can ride a MotoGP bike, then go back next year and win the Championship, other doors might open. It’s pressure off, now I don’t have to think about next year and can focus on these six races and doing the best job I can."
So what's the target now?
SL22: “You never know what will happen in racing and that’s why we all love the sport, but by no means is it the end of it. I’m going to go back to Moto2, I believe I can win the World Championship with a bike able to win the World Championship, and of course it won’t be easy - but I have a chance, and that’s all you ask for. So I’m going to go back, try and do it and then try to get back to MotoGP. But my first target is to try and be competitive, and win the Moto2 title.”
Finally, there are six races left in 2017, beginning with Misano. What are your goals for the remainder of the year?
SL22: “We had a good test at Misano, I only did 40 laps because of my injured foot from Brno, which is still damaged so I didn’t do too much but it’s a track that I like and I’ve done a bit there on a MotoGP bike. I look forward to it and it’s the team’s home race which is always nice. I love Misano, I can’t wait to get there. For me now the goal is to get closer to the front, get in the points and try and sneak a top ten before the end of the season. Keep plugging away, enjoy it as much as I can, and give everything, every lap so I’m in good stead for 2018.”