Sam Lowes is confident that he has the motorcycle to challenge for victory whatever the weather brings tomorrow at Silverstone. The Briton topped all three practice sessions, each of which was disrupted by rain, before snatching pole position in the dying seconds of a wet qualifying from Johann Zarco.
The Federal Oil Gresini rider admits he would prefer a dry race given his sensational pace in those conditions but he expects to be fighting at the front, even if the rain returns.
“For me, the weekend has been great. In the dry I feel really strong but in the wet, it’s been a bit tricky in some places. But whatever happens tomorrow, I’m relaxed. In the dry, I think we have a good advantage. It’s never easy but I can make a good rhythm. In the rain, there are many guys who can be fast but it’s all about staying consistent.”
With Zarco 44 points ahead and Alex Rins suffering with a collarbone injury, Lowes acknowledges that he must take advantage of his strong pace tomorrow if he is to remain a title contender.
“It happens to everybody. Obviously you want to beat everybody so what happened to Rins isn’t nice. For me it’s quite obvious, if I don’t make a good race in the next two races, it will be really difficult for the championship, especially after the two bad races in Germany and Austria. I’ll give it everything.”