Sam Lowes, Marc VDS Off To WorldSBK
M
oto2 stalwart Sam Lowes
will finish his Grand Prix
career at the end of this season
and switch to the WorldSBK
Championship in 2024 with his
current team, Marc VDS.
Riding a Ducati Panigale
V4 R, Lowes will return to the
series in which he won the 2013
WorldSSP Championship for
Yamaha. Over a 10-year span in
the Grand Prix paddock, Lowes
has so far taken seven wins, 15
podiums and 12 pole positions,
all in the Moto2 class.
"I always had a goal to race in
World Superbike, and after win
-
ning the World Supersport title
in 2013 it was a normal step,"
Lowes said. "But I chose to try
the Grand Prix paddock. I'm
happy and proud that I've had
such a good GP career, and I've
enjoyed it a lot. But I feel now
it's a great time to move across
to WorldSBK to try a different
machine and learn how to ride
a superbike. I also believe in
myself and know I can achieve
good things."
Marc VDS team owner Marc
Van Der Straten confirmed that
although the team will remain
in the Moto2 paddock with two
new riders (hinting that current
Lowes teammate Tony Arbo
-
lino will be on the MotoGP grid
next year), the team is ready for
expansion into WorldSBK.
"I'm delighted and ready to
begin this new adventure in the
World Superbike Championship,"
said Van Der Straten. "And it
gives me even more pleasure to
do it with our great rider, Sam
Lowes. I'm also very proud to
start this new adventure with
Ducati, which is undoubtedly
the bike to be on in WorldSBK.
This opportunity for expansion
comes at the perfect time. After
14 years in MotoGP, where the
Marc VDS Racing Team has
shown great potential, we are
ready to face a new challenge.
"We have competed in Moto3,
Moto2, MotoGP and MotoE and
won three titles. And our com
-
mitment to Moto2 remains as
strong as ever and I look forward
to enjoying a lot more success
in the future in a class where our
journey on two wheels started.
Moto2 has been the platform
for us to gain a wealth of experi
-
ence to continue growing and
replicate our achievements in
another world-class champion
-
ship like WorldSBK."
CN
WIND
IN THE
P52
Sam Lowes (left) will compete against
his Kawasaki-mounted twin brother
Alex (right) in the 2024 WorldSBK
Championship aboard a Ducati.
