Neil Hodgson knows winning. Having taken the 2003 World Superbike crown, the 2000 British Superbike crown and having ridden in the 500cc World Championship, the Lancastrian is a good mixture of experience for Alex Lowes to count on. During the Jerez test, WorldSBK.com caught up with him to talk about his rider, the new season and the World Superbike Championship.

First on the agenda was Alex vs 2016:
“Everything's new and it’s going to be step by step. They're not going to be ready for Australia. That’s the truth, really. I mean, they’ll be ready but the bike’s probably going to be a 7 out of 10. It’s still early in its development with this package really and obviously it’s the same with the team. Everything is so positive, everyone knows that, and we know that the bike is going to improve throughout the year and that the riders are going to have a competitive package underneath them.”

The 2003 Champion knows what a difficult time Lowes has gone through over the past two years, but recognises the value of the experience. “It’s been hard for him because he’s a winner. So is everyone in this paddock, but Alex…I’ve been around a lot of riders and Alex is a bit different. He’s an out and out winner and it’s been hard these last couple of years, but he’s kept his head up and I’ve kept telling him ‘Hard work pays off!’. Thankfully it has done and it’s proven what I kept telling him. And now he has an opportunity, certainly from mid-season on, to be on the podium, hopefully regularly, and to have a shot at winning a few races, which would be amazing.”

The manager then turned his attention on the Championship and the rest of the grid, first giving us his opinion on the timetable change: “I’m all for change! People don’t like change, but I do. It has been thought through and it has been thought through well. Yes, it’s going to be harder for some teams and some weekends it’s not going to work for you, for example if you’ve had a big crash on Saturday in practice or whatever it is, but it is what it is and I think entertainment wise, it will be better.”

And finally, what of the men at the top?
“Rea was stunning last year,” affirmed Hodgson. “He’s the man to beat, obviously, this year. Championship wise, I can’t see anyone beating him. I can see people beating him in races but he’s such a strong rider. Mentally as well, he’s even stronger this year with that championship under his belt. Him and Kawasaki is the perfect package. But then Davies is at a good point in his career, everything’s right for Chaz now. I just don’t know if the bike is good enough. I feel like the Ducati is at the end of its development and I don’t know what else they can find. So I think it’s going to be harder for him, but Chaz is going to be on the podium every weekend."