Brotherly battles– Sam Lowes to WorldSBK

As the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship continues to write its own headlines in a dramatic season of action, attention for some has turned to 2024 already, particularly after the latest news. Three-time Moto2™ World Champions Marc VDS Racing will expand their racing operations next year and become the latest team to join the 2024 WorldSBK grid. The rider of choice is their multiple-Grands Prix winner Sam Lowes, who will join identical twin brother Alex on the grid next year. Less than 24 hours after the news, Sam explained the reason behind the move, his excitement about a new chapter and, of course, racing against his brother.

“ONE OF US WILL BE LESS HAPPY EACH WEEKEND” – the double vision racing rivalry begins!

“Firstly, it’s fantastic to be coming to WorldSBK after quite a lot of years in Moto2™, I had one season in MotoGP™ too but it’s quite a long time in that paddock,” began a smiling Lowes, who first entered Moto2™ in 2014. “Ever since I left WorldSSP in 2013, it’s always been on my mind to come back to World Superbike and try and have a nice time there. To be able to do it with the same team, a fantastic team at that, and a great brand of motorcycle in Ducati, is something that quite a lot of riders at the moment would be happy and proud of. I’m looking forward to it a lot; I’ve always followed it, as the same amount of time I’ve been in Grand Prix, Alex has been in World Superbike, and I have followed every race weekend over the last ten years. I know we can do a nice job.

“On racing Alex, we are so close! I’ve already texted him ten times today and we speak all the time. To race together will be something very fun; of course, one of us will be less happy each weekend when one of us finishes in front of the other. It will be such a great feeling and privilege to race against him on the world stage. It’s something that a lot of people would have dreamed of this, including us when me and him were kids! To be in WorldSBK, against each other and at a good level! If you’re in front or behind each other, it’s going to be fun but it won’t make any difference to the end result – unless he’s in front of me on the last lap going into the last corner, then maybe! I’m only joking; we do a lot of stuff together, so we’ll be fine!”