Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) rolled up his sleeves and earned his paycheck at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, where he partook in the private test event despite having suffered a broken left wrist at Phillip Island’s Race 2 just over two weeks prior. In medical revisions prior to the test, doctors found that he would not require surgery for the injury, but he had previously admitted that his participation would be “A big ask”. Undeterred, the #14 donned his leathers and after getting the go-ahead, he landed third-fastest on the test’s timesheets.

ONGOING RECOVERY: “I felt I was able to ride the bike well, which wasn’t a given just two weeks after the hand and wrist break"

Day 1 bore fruit, dry conditions on track until late in the afternoon, which the Lincolnshire native took full advantage of to take P3 through his 1’41.154s effort, just a thousandth behind Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) in P2. While the result was strong for the recovering rider, overnight rain left the tarmac wet on Day 2, and afternoon rain prevented any dry time. Lowes and most other riders elected to save their test days as a result, but the test still brought important information to the team about their new 2026 Ducati Panigale V4R.

On how his injured wrist was feeling and his general feeling with the bike, Lowes said: “It felt OK, better than I expected in some ways but it’s still difficult to do a lot of laps in a row and I know I’ll be up against in for the race weekend. But on the positive side I felt I was able to ride the bike well, which wasn’t a given just two weeks after the hand and wrist break. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks before the race weekend I can recoup some fitness and let’s see how it goes.”

SEEKING COMFORT: “The main area is the ergonomics, working on positioning to find the most comfortable way forward”

The 2026 preseason featured unfortunate weather throughout their January test events. Rain first limited running at Jerez, then; at Portimao, heavy rain and strong winds further mitigated time on track. Fortunately, the field found dry time in Australia at the Official Test event, but with both Phillip Island and Portimao’s unique layouts, the field anxiously awaited a chance to try new parts and setups on the bike. With one day out of two providing information, riders will take to the track on Friday, March 27^th, for their Free Practice 1 session with less information than they’d like, but Lowes still looks forward to the challenge.

On his team’s response to the weather and what they were working on, Lowes said: “Because of the rain on Day 2 I did a total of 25 laps, all on the first day. It sounds like a lot but in reality, it’s not, and I had to run the bike in after it was rebuilt from my Australia crash. It’s tricky because none of us have had much running this winter, all the tests have been weather affected, so I’m still trying to adjust to the bike. The main area is the ergonomics, working on positioning to find the most comfortable way forward. I’m fairly satisfied with my pace but It’s disappointing for everyone, it was quite an inconclusive test due to losing the second day. I’m lucky to have a team who adapt to every situation and always try to get the best out of it.”

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