Final weekend’s Portimao WorldSBK check was a “constructive” one for Marc VDS’s Sam Lowes, who centered on making an attempt new settings, reasonably than new parts.
Lowes was among the many Ducatis that dominated the opening World Superbike spherical of 2025 at Phillip Island, ending within the top-six in each Sunday races, however coming again to Europe and a extra unusual structure corresponding to Portimao’s might be a possibility to see extra precisely how the sphere stacks up.
Lowes was ninth-fastest on day two of the check, and the final of the riders to lap within the 1:40s.
However race tempo, reasonably than final lap time, was what had Lowes inspired regardless of disrupted working attributable to intermittent rain on each days.
“It was good,” Lowes informed WorldSBK summarily.
“I felt okay on the bike at the moment, we’re making good enhancements day-by-day with the race configuration.
“Slightly than testing new elements, we’re testing totally different settings with suspension and different issues with totally different race tires in order that was the primary factor.
“Sadly, solely 50 laps at the moment and comparable in Day 1 so nonetheless not the perfect check, we didn’t get as many laps as we usually would.”
Lowes added, although, that, regardless of the disrupted check, he’s nonetheless optimistic in regards to the upcoming race in Portimao.
“We now have the race weekend in two weeks, so it was vital to get the work finished,” he stated.
“I might say issues are constructive, my tempo on race tires is fairly okay. We nonetheless have some areas to enhance however issues are trying constructive forward of the race weekend and I really feel like we are able to do a very good job.
“I really feel like we’ve finished a very good check and we’ve analyzed nicely what we wanted to and from right here there’s nonetheless a lot we are able to study from trying on the knowledge and the video footage.
“Total it was constructive, no drama and a giant thanks to the staff for a fantastic job, now per week off then again to it.”
