AlexLowes

Alex Lowes has become the de facto team leader at the Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK following Jonathan Rea’s departure to Yamaha, with Axel Bassani joining him at KRT. A two-time race winner in WorldSBK, including with Kawasaki in Australia in 2020, Lowes will look for a return to the top step for the first time in four years. Beginning his career in the 125cc World Championship, Lowes - twin brother to WorldSBK rider Sam Lowes - then went on to compete in BSB for four seasons, becoming the series’ youngest ever champion in 2013.

Making a full-time debut in 2014 and taking a podium, the Brit took a top ten overall in the Championship in 2015 before he and the full Crescent Racing team switched to Yamaha machinery for 2016. After that first transitional season (with a Suzuka 8 Hours crown picked up along the way), the English rider began to thrive in 2017, finishing the year fifth in the standings with four podiums. 2018 was a similar year for the Englishman, with one peak moment – his first WorldSBK race win, taken in phenomenal fashion at Brno.

2019 became a true breakout year for Lowes, as he claimed third position in the standings, beaten only by Jonathan Rea and Álvaro Bautista. The 29-year-old picked up nine podiums along the way, earning him a move to one of the most solicited yet challenging seats in WorldSBK: the second factory ZX-10RR alongside Rea. A first win for Kawasaki in Race 2 at Phillip Island in 2020 remains his only win for the Japanese manufacturer, something he looks to correct for 2022.