UNFORTUNATE FRENCH ROUND FOR LOWES ON WORLDSBK RETURN

Sam Lowes and the Elf Marc VDS Racing Team endured a tricky Sunday at Magny-Cours during the eighth round of the WorldSBK Championship as the Briton was forced to retire from Race 2.

Like Saturday, warm up at Magny-Cours was held in fully wet conditions. Yet the track had dried by the time the Superpole Race started at 11.00 local time. Starting from 20th, Lowes fought through to 16th in the race which was held over 10 laps.

The track was completely dry for Race 2, which got underway at 15.30. The 33-year old had a solid start, gained two positions on the second lap and was running a solid rhythm. But a technical issue forced Sam to retire on lap 13.

A tough weekend in France means Sam sits 18th in the World Championship with 40 points.

SAM LOWES, Superpole Race: 16th, Race 2: DNF

“It’s hard to put a situation like this into words. We had good pace and in Race 2 a technical problem cut my progress and forced me to retire from the race. I’m disappointed about what happened but I have to turn the page as soon as possible and focus on preparing for the next round.”