Sam Lowes seeks qualifying boost

Sam Lowes reckons his hopes of becoming a consistent top six challenger in the Moto2 world championship will be boosted by better qualifying performances.

The reigning World Supersport champion has only qualified inside the top 10 in two of his first five races in the ultra-competitive Moto2 category.

But he has claimed three top 10 finishes so far in a series of impressive performances on the Speed Up frame, including a brilliant ninth on his first visit to the Le Mans track in France last weekend.

Lowes showed fantastic speed again in France on his way to setting the fourth quickest time of the race. Only reigning Moto3 world champion Maverick Vinales, pole setter Jonas Folger and world championship leader Tito Rabat lapped faster in Le Mans than Lowes.

It is those encouraging performances which have given Lowes confidence and belief that if he could improving his qualifying result, he can threaten the top six on a regular basis.

His best result of the season came on his Moto2 debut in Qatar when he finished sixth after qualifying on the second row.

He started 17th in Texas, which saw him caught him in a first corner pile-up and then he gave himself plenty to do from 22nd in Argentina before he raced to an excellent eighth.

Lowes told MCN: “I definitely need to work on my qualifying.  Qatar was the slowest speed I’ve had all season and yet it was my best result because I was able to qualify well. I’ve had better pace in every race since but given myself a lot of work to do coming from so far back. That’s something I will be looking to improve. And I’m happier at the moment when I’m riding on my own. In the first laps of a race when guys are using different lines or passing me it just throws me a little bit. I am still new to Moto2 and learning the tracks and the class, but I am happy because I am racing some really good riders with a lot of experience.”