Ten minutes with
Alex Lowes – we caught up with the Kawasaki WSBK team’s latest signing.
Are you happy with where you’re at?
I still want to be doing better. I feel like this last 18 months I’ve really come on with my riding, understanding things I never used to and making strong and consistent steps with my riding. The truth is I’m loving racing right now, more than I ever have, because I’ve taken the pressure off myself. I’ve always wanted to do better, push harder and be more, but I’ve learned to relax and the results keep coming. I guess the big challenge is to consolidate third in the championship and then I’ll start focusing on what’s coming next. When I look back, it’s been one hell of a journey so far. I’m proud to have got to where I am and I feel like the next five years are going to be my best yet. I’ve got the right amount of motivation, experience and desire. As a kid I knew I had what it took to reach the top and I still feel like I’m on my journey.
Lowes has pushed the boundaries (and track limits) on the Yamaha.
I’m not world champion just yet, but I believe I’ve got what it takes.
What does it take to be the best?
I’ve realised there’s more to winning races than one fast lap. If you look at British Superbikes there are probably 12 riders that could win on their day. You need to have more than raw talent on your side. The further you go up the ladder, the more you find yourself with really capable riders. The only difference is often down to their attitude and how well they get on with their team. One of the biggest things I’ve learned as a rider is that regardless of whether I’m on pole or in tenth, what’s really important is being able to come in and give your crew a good debrief, so they can then do their best to help you go faster – we’re all in this together. Another thing that’s really hit home is that one session isn’t going to change your life. Of course, it’s nice to do well, but sometimes things don’t click. If you dwell on a bad result, it doesn’t do you any good. You’ve got to stay focused on the bigger picture.
Are you drawn to GP?
It’s so important to be on a competitive bike in whatever championship you’re in. There’s always the draw to head to MotoGP, but the reality of hopping on a decent bike with a top team is up there with winning the lottery. Take the KTM set up for example. On face value it looks a brilliant outfit with lots of passion, commitment and enthusiasm, but it’s not quite competitive enough to challenge the very best riders in the world, racing for the best factory teams in the world. We’ve
seen plenty of riders with loads of talent make bad moves and lose everything they’ve ever worked for, thanks to one rough season. I’d sooner stick in World Superbikes, winning races and keeping in the shop window of the best teams in the paddock. For me, it’s all about being able to prolong getting the best results, whereas in GP I’m sure I’d soon get annoyed if I wasn’t performing at my best or the bike I was on wasn’t as competitive as my rivals. The grass isn’t always greener.
When you’re not racing, do you watch racing?
I’m a big bike fan. I watch everything, BSB, MotoGP. Obviously, with my brother (Sam) racing in Moto2, that means a lot to me. I often get asked about what paddock I’d want to be in and whether I’d sooner be in GP or World? In truth, if I could be at MotoGP and beating Marc Marquez, of course I’d sooner be there, but I’m not in a position to do that, but I am in the right place to win World Superbikes, so that’s where my focus is. As for BSB, I’ll never forget that that’s where I’ve come from, but no one in the world has ever said that they’d sooner be racing in that
k h n m n n h w l n BSB is a fantastic championship. I still follow it closely and have great memories from my time there, but if I can stay in World Superbikes on a factory bike, I’d rather do that. In terms of which championship offers the most excitement, I don’t know how you can top MotoGP. We’ve had a mega year here in WSBK, and it’s the first time in a long time that BSB’s not been really close – the three Ducatis seem to have a good advantage over everything else - but it's still made for great viewing.
Have you ever regretted a career move?
In terms of moves I don’t think I’ve made a really bad one. In 2015, my second year racing at world with Suzuki, I started the first two rounds of the championship really strong with a fourth and third in Thailand. Then the team changed the electronics package from one brand to another and that really screwed things up because there wasn’t the knowledge in that team to get the best out of the new systems. Three-quarters of that season was a write-off because we simply didn’t have a competitive bike. I think the best move I ever made was joining Samsung Honda. Before then I was still running around on privateer machinery so it was nice to get the recognition and opportunity from one of the top teams in the paddock. I had plenty of offers, including the chance to race in World Supersport, but I knew I had the potential to win the BSB championship on a decent bike and this was the chance I’d dreamed off – I had to take it. The year
n lI h h f r on track, but it was off track, behind the scenes where I really took things to a new level. The team was unreal, brilliant to work with, and Harvey Beltran, the team manager, shaped me from being a crazy, fast kid who crashed a lot into the kind of rider that could up my game and string a championship together. Harvey and Paul Denning (Crescent) are probably the two biggest influencers of my career to date.