INDIA in F1

Tag: Sam Lowes

  • Lowes pulls the pin for faultless first win of 2021

    Lowes pulls the pin for faultless first win of 2021

    The Brit pitches it to perfection to start the year on top, with Gardner on the chase and Diggia digging deep for third
    Doha, 28 March 2021: Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) became the first British rider to win an opening round Grand Prix since the great Barry Sheene in 1979 after producing a faultless ride at the Barwa Grand Prix of Qatar. The polesitter kept a hard-charging Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) at bay as the Australian takes P2 from Round 1, with Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) coming out on top in a last lap duel with Marco Bezzecchi (SKY Racing Team VR46) to hand Gresini Racing an emotional podium.

    A lightning start from Row 2 saw Bezzecchi grab the holeshot, with both Lowes and Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) slow from P1 and P2 as third place Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) slotted into P2. Lowes soon got past a wide Fernandez at Turn 1 to recover to P3, and the Brit then made light work of Bendsneyder at Turn 6. Fellow Brit Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing) was also on the move, up into P5 from P10 on the grid.

    Lap 2 saw Raul Fernandez also pass Bendsneyder for third place as the leading eight riders locked horns. Lowes then showed a wheel to Bezzecchi at Turn 6, and by Turn 1 on Lap 3, the British rider was through and leading. Seventh place Gardner set the fastest lap of the race though, with the Australian fighting hard to move through and give chase. Raul Fernandez was also swarming all over the back of Bezzecchi, and making a Turn 1 move stick on Lap 4.

    Fernandez’s teammate Gardner, though, was the man on the move. The Australian slipped by Dixon for P4 but a small error then saw Gardner lose the time he’d made up, he was back down to P5. Sixth place Di Giannantonio was then wide at the final corner, and the Italian slipped to P8 as Lowes set the fastest lap of the race.

    Fernandez was soon back to within a couple of tenths of the race leader though, Lowes making a mistake somewhere to allow the rookie to close him in. Meanwhile, a regrouped Gardner was now back ahead of Dixon and set the fastest lap of the race again, with Bezzecchi soon enjoying the number 87 for close company. With 13 to go, Gardner struck at Turn 4 and made a move stick on Bezzecchi.

    With 12 to go, Fernandez was losing touch on Lowes and Gardner sensed it. The latter was through on his teammate and now had 1.2 seconds to bridge if he wanted to win his second Moto2™ race in succession, but Lowes had something in hand and set the fastest lap of the Grand Prix – a 1:59.529 – to keep his margin comfortable if not yet dominant.

    A few laps passed by with stalemate, and the gap remained at just under one and a half seconds between the leading duo. Raul Fernandez continued to keep his teammate honest too, with Bezzecchi sitting 1.2 seconds behind the young Spaniard as Di Giannantonio, Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) and Dixon squabbled right behind the podium fight.

    Gardner, on Lap 13, set the fastest lap of the race, but Lowes set his personal best too and on the next lap, the race leader was three tenths quicker. Pin pulled, the gap was up to 1.6 seconds and it would only increase in increments from there.

    With three laps to go, it was two seconds and the top two seemed settled, but the battle for the podium was in full swing. Bezzecchi tucked in behind Raul Fernandez down the home straight and took third place away from the star rookie, with Di Giannantonio then on the scene and making it a six-wheel scrap for the podium. The Italian followed compatriot Bezzecchi through and locked his radar onto third…

    Up the road, Lowes had a comfortable 2.2 second lead over Gardner and cruised to his first win of the year in style, with the Australian forced to settle for the 20 points but happy enough to do so this time. The final place on the podium was between the two Italians and Di Giannantonio sliced up the inside of Bezzecchi at Turn 11, a classy move pulled off, and Diggia held it on the drag to the line by 0.013s to hand himself and Gresini an emotional rostrum. The first for Gresini Racing in Moto2™ since Lowes in 2016 at the Aragon GP, and a fitting way to remember the late, great Fausto Gresini.

    Bezzecchi lost out on a rostrum by the slimmest of margins but a P4 is a solid start to the year. Fernandez couldn’t hold onto a podium place in his first Moto2™ race but it was nevertheless a phenomenal ride from the Spaniard, who took fifth and beat Roberts by 0.6 seconds as the American put in a solid ride to pull out a couple of seconds on Dixon by the flag in sixth. The Brit forced to settle for seventh, ahead of Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) as the German eventually got the better of Bendsneyder. The German, Dutchman was followed home by Jorge Navarro (MB Conveyors Speed Up) as the two completed the top ten.

    11th place went to Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) as the American produced a fantastic debut Moto2™ race in a heated battle for the remaining point-scoring positions. Fellow rookie Celestino Vietti (SKY Racing Team VR46) also impressed as he lost out by just 0.142s to Beaubier and took P12, with both getting the better of the more experienced Aron Canet (Inde Aspar Team), Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) and Tom Lüthi (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) – the latter trio completing the points.

    Hector Garzo (Flexbox HP40), Lorenzo Baldassarri (MV Agusta Forward Racing) and Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) crashed out, riders ok.

    Lowes did the business after a Warm Up mishap and the British rider starts the year with a near-perfect performance. Gardner and the chasing pack will be hoping to make up ground when the riders attack Losail International Circuit again next weekend, so who will come out on top in Doha in seven days time?
    Moto2™ podium:
    1 Sam Lowes – Elf Marc VDS Racing Team – Kalex – 40:03.123
    2 Remy Gardner – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – +2.260
    3 Fabio Di Giannantonio – Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 – Kalex – +5.228
  • Lowes turns it up to 11 with another lap record at MotorLand: Moto2

    Lowes turns it up to 11 with another lap record at MotorLand: Moto2

    The Brit sets another new benchmark for pole, with Bastianini sixth and Marini down in 11th
    Teruel, 24 October 2020:     Sam Lowes (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) remains the man in form after an impressive Q2 at the Gran Premio Liqui Moly de Teruel, the Brit laying down the gauntlet of another new lap record for his 11th Moto2 pole position. Jorge Navarro (Lightech Speed Up) was the man closest on the chase as he takes second, two tenths down, with Remy Gardner (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) completing the front row in a hotly-contested third place. Championship leader Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) starts sixth, with third overall Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) down in P11 for the Teruel GP…

    Marini was the man in the spotlight in Q1 as the Italian struggled to break the top 20 in Free Practice, but he moved through in third behind Bo Bendsneyder (NTW RW Racing GP) and Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP), with Stefano Manzi (MV Agusta Forward Racing) the fourth man through. Could Marini make a dent in the top 18 in Q2? It was time to reset and find out.

    Marcos Ramirez (Tennor American Racing) was the early pacesetter but Lowes didn’t allow the rookie to spend long at the summit, taking four tenths off and sitting just a tenth off the lap record to set his competition an almighty challenge early on. Navarro then cut Lowes’ gap down to less than a tenth though. before Gardner and Ramirez slotted themselves onto the provisional front row.

    Lowes wouldn’t be stopped, however. With eight minutes to go, the number 22 slammed in a new lap record to set the benchmark once again, with Navarro still pushing and taking P2 but still a couple of tenths off Lowes. Could he do it next time around? The Spaniard was getting closer but his pole position dreams ended at Turn 7 as he slipped out of contention, ultimately ensuring the battle remained a brief duel and making it a Lowes-Navarro 1-2 on the grid.

    The fight for third was close and Gardner held off Fabio Di Giannantonio (Lightech Speed Up) by just 0.009, with the fight for fourth even closer yet. Ramirez was forced to settle for fifth, but the rookie was just 0.001 off Diggia as he continues his impressive run of MotorLand form. Championship leader Bastianini had a more solid qualifying than last weekend and locks out the second row, the Italian now likely focused on trying to stop Lowes from winning – or limiting the damage.

    Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing) keeps his impressive speed rolling to spearhead the third row, ahead of Hector Garzo (Flexbox HP 40) and Augusto Fernandez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) as the two Spaniards complete Row 3. Q1 graduate Bendsneyder picked up an impressive P10, his best Q2 result since the Dutchman qualified P5 in Qatar, with Marini forced to settle for P11 in the end but beating Aragon GP podium finisher Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) to it by less than a tenth.

    At the end of the session, there was some drama for Martin too. He and Marco Bezzecchi  (Sky Racing Team VR46) vented their frustration at each other after an incident in the closing moments of Q2, and title challenger Bezzecchi has to settle for P14, his first non-top 10 qualifying result of the season…

    That’s a wrap from Saturday and Lowes reigns once again at MotorLand. Can anyone stop the man second in the Championship from taking his third win in a row? A victory would see Lowes take the title lead heading into the final three races, Bastianini is the only contender in the title race looking likely to challenge Lowes on Sunday afternoon…

    Tune in to the Moto2™ race at 14:30 local time (GMT+1) – a little later than normal!
    Sam Lowes: “I’m really happy to get pole today after last weekend’s pole to win. A lot has changed in my life and riding since 2016, I’m different now, I’ve learned a lot and changed a lot, and this year I feel a lot more controlled and feel like I’m riding technically a little bit better which is helping me to be more consistent. There are many little things, but I’m feeling good, I’m on a bit of a wave at the moment with the results as they are but we have to stay focused. Obviously the race is the most important, we need to not get carried away because it’ll be a tough race as always. Just focus for 21 laps and see what we can do tomorrow.”
    Moto2 front row
    1 Sam Lowes – EG 0,0 Marc VDS – Kalex 1:51.296    
    2 Jorge Navarro – Lightech Speed Up – Speed Up +0.216
    3 Remy Gardner – ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team – Kalex +0.415