Alex Lowes experienced two falls on the concluding day of WorldSBK testing in Catalunya but managed to secure a spot within the top nine.
After securing a double win at Phillip Island and taking the lead in the WorldSBK championship, Alex Lowes arrived in Catalunya aiming to continue his exceptional start to the season.
However, on the second day, Lowes suffered two crashes – one at turn five and another at turn ten, the same corner that also caused Danilo Petrucci, who finished third, to fall.
Both crashes resulted in damage to the left side of Alex Lowes’ handlebar, yet the Kawasaki rider remained positive after the incidents.
“It was a productive and busy day,” Lowes began. “I put in a lot of work today, especially with others putting in new tyres.
“I completed a race simulation, focusing on preserving the tyres, particularly the front, as this track seems to have low grip and is demanding on the front end.
“I was satisfied with the consistency during the simulated race; it was a significant improvement compared to last year under similar conditions.
“We’re making strides with the bike, which is encouraging.
“I used a SCQ (super-soft qualifying tyre) towards the end, but unfortunately, the penultimate run wasn’t quite ready for it, so my three laps ended up being consistent. I didn’t manage to improve my time on the qualifying tyre.”
“My crashes were simply minor front-end incidents, entirely my responsibility. We’ve been experimenting with the bike, especially the electronics, so perhaps the setup we had didn’t quite click,” remarked Lowes.
Despite the setbacks, Lowes managed to recover and improve his lap times late in the day, breaking into the top nine.
Expressing his satisfaction with the current state of his ZX-10RR compared to the previous visit to Catalunya, Lowes stated, “I believe my pace is strong, but until we hit the track for the race, it’s hard to say for sure. The contrast between Australia with its new grippy surface and this track, one of the least grippy, is quite stark.
“Coming here has been crucial to test the adjustments we made during the winter, particularly the electronics and the setup. The focus has been more on the setup rather than the software, given the significant differences from last year.
“I’m much more content now that I know our changes are effective. Today, I completed a race simulation, gaining valuable experience from that.
“Despite a couple of crashes, we’re definitely in a better position. I’m happier post-test than before because now we have a clearer understanding of what to expect.”
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