MotoGP Germany: Lowes looking for ‘front confidence’

Elf Marc VDS’ Sam Lowes started strongly at Sachsenring posting Friday’s fourth fastest Moto2 time at a rapidly heating track.

Competitive from the off, Lowes’ morning best, a 1’24.935, sat him seventh in the standings and just a quarter of a second shy of the top three.

Utilising the afternoon session to complete a race simulation, with positive results, the 31-year-old set about a time attack in the closing stages securing fourth with a 1’24.557 effort.

“We spent a lot of time working for the race because in these hot conditions and with the nature of this track, tyre endurance is going to be very important on Sunday,” Lowes explained from Germany. “We did a full distance on a rear tyre and that was important because we collected a lot of good information.

“This is a track I’ve always enjoyed riding at, but I still need to improve myself to be faster. The first sector was my main weak point last year, but I’ve already found something in that area and now I need to find a bit more performance in sector two. But we’ve made a good step with the general feeling on the bike, particularly the rear that is crucial for Sunday.

“If we can find a bit more front confidence in the longer corners, I’m convinced we can have a positive race on Sunday.”