MotoGP Qatar: ‘Amazing podium after difficult weekend’ for Lowes

A rollercoaster 2022 launch weekend for Sam Lowes saw the Marc VDS rider dig deep for a breathtaking Moto2 podium in Qatar.

Having already lost out on pole position due to track limits on his fastest lap of Saturday, Lowes lined up on the edge of the front row, in third for Sunday’s 20-lap season opener at the Lusail International Circuit.

Initial first lap chaos dropped the British rider down to eighth with the fightback resulting in his fastest lap of the race, a 1’59.062, as he found himself firmly amidst a four-rider fight for third. The ensuing battle, including Elf teammate Tony Arbolino, former partner Augusto Fernandez and Honda’s AI Ogura lasted for the remainder of the race with the quartet repeatedly swapping positions as the laps counted down.

Due to the tendonitis issue in his left wrist, the 31-year old was struggling to stop the bike under heavy braking but nonetheless fought hard. Starting the final lap fifth, Lowes took advantage of the bickering duo ahead to claim third out of the final corner, crossing the line 0.078s ahead of Fernandez for his 24th podium finish in the Moto2 class and his third in a row at the desert location.

“It’s been a difficult couple of weeks but we had a good qualifying yesterday and a podium today!” Lowes reflected from Parc Fermé in Sunday night.

“That was a difficult race, I was not so fast. Ogura was real strong in the straight and I think me and Augusto [Fernandez] was a little bit stronger in the lap. So it was a difficult race because he kept passing us and I was not strong on the bike, physically to overtake in the lap. It was a nice battle but I couldn’t ride how I wanted to ride.

“Of course I got lucky in the last corner but I was already happy with a fourth/fifth