After more than 25 years since their first podium, Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) took home silverware for the Italian Manufacturer first at their home round at Misano, and now at Magny-Cours’ Race 1, he has hit the mark again and brought home a second. This time, however. He stood on the rostrum in a dry, full-length race, the first time hitting that mark since back in 1989 when Giancarlo Falappa brought silver home to Rimini, Italy, from Hockenheim’s Race 2.

As their package develops with time, Alex Lowes is getting more and more out of the machine, now having earned podiums in two of the last four rounds, just a third of the races into Magny-Cours. In Race 1’s early stages, Lowes demonstrated the pace to hold off Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati), who, like Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), often possesses ascendant pace. However, the first four laps of Magny Cours’ Race 1 may have given a glimpse of what Alex Lowes and his Bimota ride are capable of.

SIBLING CAMARADERIE: “I’ve been fast in pretty much every session and been riding a lot with my brother, pushing each other and helping each other”

In their return season, Bimota has now collected a pair of podiums. That tally could be even higher were it not for several crashes in races in which the bike was performing well, such as at the #22’s home round at Donington. While it may not show up on the stat sheet, confidence is clearly growing in the Bimota camp. With a pair of races left here at Magny-Cours, another podium may be in the cards; however, while Alex’s brother Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) has been helpful to Alex’s feelings on the bike, there may be a sibling showdown brewing on Sunday.

On the podium, Lowes said: “It feels good. I’ve had a really enjoyable weekend. I’ve been fast in pretty much every session and been riding a lot with my brother, pushing each other and helping each other. He helped me in Superpole. The target was to qualify on the first two rows and make a good start, and I knew with race pace, I wasn’t too bad. I felt physically good, and the bike was good. When the tyres dropped, the way the bike turns is aggressive, so I use these advantages. I’m really happy. I was hoping, maybe in the last six or seven laps, to have a battle with my brother, but we’ll save that for tomorrow!”

IRONING OUT THE DETAILS: “Some track layouts go for us, some go against us. The way the bike changes direction and handles in long corners gives us an edge over the other guys”

Now having sunk their teeth into the ninth round of their return season, Alex Lowes, teammate Axel Bassani and the rest of the team are coming to understand their KB998 Rimini’s strengths and weaknesses increasingly. While Lowes stated that there is still a bit to be desired with the platform’s consistency, he made it clear that from his view atop the bike, he is pleased with the project’s progress.

On his feeling about the Bimota project, Lowes said: “Some track layouts go for us, some go against us. The way the bike changes direction and handles in long corners gives us an edge over the other guys. For the first year inside the project, this is really good. We need a little bit more consistency to be fast at every track. This weekend, I’m enjoying it, and I think we can be strong again tomorrow.”

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