2025’s time around at the TT Circuit Assen brought more than its normal dose of race action and surprises, but few had a weekend as sweet as Sam Lowes’s (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) trip to The Netherlands. Lowes opened the weekend hot, earning his first-ever pole position in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship on Saturday, then doubled up his on Superpole success as he took P2 on Sunday’s Tissot Superpole Race, earning his first WorldSBK podium in doing so.

“It was an enjoyable race, in ten laps coming through the guys I was around”

His weekend begun in the strongest way possible, after strong laps from Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati), Sam Lowes shot around the track in Saturday’s Superpole session, beating out the rest of the grid with his 1’32.596s time to claim his first ever pole. To follow that up, the British rider added to his list of Assen firsts on the weekend, crossing the chequered flag second behind Razgatlioglu after a tech issue for Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) forced the Italian to retire, giving a clear shot to the podium for the Englishman in the wet conditions.

“It was true Assen with a wet morning and a wet beginning to the Superpole Race, starting from Pole position I was quite cautious to get a good start because in the rain its easier if you have a clear track without the spray and everything. So, I really focused on my start, and into Turn 1 I missed my braking point and locked the front a bit, so I went off the track and went back to P7 or P8. From there, it was an enjoyable race, in ten laps coming through the guys I was around. It was an enjoyable race, I was able to get my first podium here in the Superpole Race and it was a relief because yesterday’s pole positions, we’ve been running really well I think it’s a really good step for me and my team.”

“We managed to make it a fourth, plus top independent, it was a positive day”- Lowes on his Race 2

Later in the day, the #14 wasn’t quite able to duplicate his podium achievement, but he earned P4 after Bulega’s tech issue forced him to retire in Lap 7, landing a P4 for Lowes, a result which had it not been for his Superpole Race podium, would have tied his best-ever result in WorldSBK taken earlier this season in Australia. This season, Lowes looks to have found something on the back of his Ducati Panigale V4 R, propelling him ahead of Top Independent contenders like Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven) and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) on several occasions so far on top of setting career-high watermarks in the championship.

On his Race 2 endeavours, Lowes said, “I knew in the longer race I was maybe still missing a little bit of pace to fight for the podium but I was aiming for a top five. I’m sorry for Bulega obviously because he broke down, but for me it still would have been a fifth place, we managed to make it a fourth, plus top independent, it was a positive day. We went for the harder front tire in the longer race, I don’t think it was bad, but I was missing a bit of speed, a little bit of turning and at the end I thought I could have come forward if I had a different tyre, but in the end it was similar, so I’m not saying it was the wrong choice but it was difficult for me, if i did the race again maybe I would choose the softer one. A lot better weekend, all the results were strong, good rhythm, good work, and we had a lot of fun!”

Two brothers racing in WorldSBK and achieving those things, I’m really proud of that.” – Sam Lowes on his and his brother’s Assen success

These milestones are an important achievement for Lowes of course, but what makes it even sweeter is the serendipity of where and how he achieved them. Nearly ten years ago, in Assen, Sam Lowes’s brother, Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) earned his first WorldSBK podium in the same P2, and even in the second WorldSBK race of the weekend. The two brothers are very close, and the coincidence is sure to fuel even more friendly debates between the brothers.

“We always have to answer who is faster but obviously we play a lot of golf, we train together, but it is strange how close we are with everything, here in Assen, we both got our first pole position, first podium, P2; I mean his was a long time ago and he looks a lot younger, I’m still young now so I don’t know what happened but it’s lovely, it’s really nice to see that. We’re obviously really close, but to be two brothers racing in WorldSBK and achieve those things, I’m really proud of that.”

Catch Sam Lowes and the rest of the grid’s riders next time out at Cremona May 2^nd-4^th with the WorldSBK VideoPass!