“I had a bit of a battle with my brother… we can do better tomorrow” – Sam and Alex Lowes go head-to-head in Race 1 at Magny-Cours
Saturday gave fans a taste of a much-anticipated fraternal battle and, although the red flag cut it short, the stage is set for a Sunday duel.
The first race of the Acerbis Round of France in the MOTUL FIM World Superbike Championship is in the books, and while the riders return to their garages to analyze the data before Sunday's final two races, the WorldSBK brothers, Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) and Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team), have a strong position to maintain. With eleven races remaining in the season, the two brothers are tied for fourth place in the riders' championship, promising an epic duel, especially as they also have to contend with Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team), who is only 31 points ahead. Sunday will feature the final two races at the Nevers Magny-Cours circuit, and all three men are aiming for the final step on the championship podium.
THE BATTLE FOR FOURTH PLACE BEFORE THE RESTART
Sam Lowes attacked Magny-Cours flat out, securing second place in both Friday free practice sessions and again on Saturday morning, before his race began from second on the grid. He quickly dropped two positions to fourth, overtaken by his brother Alex and Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) on the opening lap. He then returned the favor to his brother, reclaiming provisional second place. The gap remained relatively stable at around one second for seven laps, until Tommy Bridewell's Ducati Panigale V4R (Superbike Advocates) damaged the inflatable barrier at Turn 15 during his spin, bringing out the red flag. On the restart, Alex stayed close to Sam for three laps, before the gap doubled to six-tenths of a second on the fourth lap. The Bimota rider was later overtaken by Montella to finish fifth.
"I FEEL LIKE I'M THE THIRD FASTEST RIGHT NOW"
Of the two brothers, Sam has enjoyed the greater success this season, with eight podium finishes. However, his four retirements have weighed down his overall standings. On his good days, he has been able to challenge the factory Ducatis at the front, and he hopes that the off days, like at Balaton where he failed to score, are a thing of the past. From this perspective, Saturday delivered a solid result: not only did he finish ahead of his brother, but he also beat Montella in the battle for the podium, ending the Italian's run of six podium finishes.
“I’m really happy with my Superpole lap. In the main race, it went pretty much as I expected: the top two are a bit faster than me, and I feel like I’m the third fastest at the moment,” said Sam Lowes after his Saturday. “Alex was doing a good job before the red flag, staying with me, but he got a bit of a jostle after the restart. I felt pretty comfortable, but I’m missing that little something to keep up with the two at the front. I need to keep working; I’m fast in all sectors, but I’m lacking a bit of consistency. We’ll analyze everything tonight, but I think I can get closer in the Superpole Race.”
"I thought I could put him under a little pressure, that would have been fun."
While his brother amassed more trophies in 2026, with Alex only managing one podium finish, achieved at Phillip Island, his strength lies in his consistency. He finished 14 of the season's 25 races in the top five, and with only one finish outside the top ten and three retirements, he is a difficult driver to outpace, even when the clock isn't in his favor.
“It was good, honestly; the goal is to fight for the podium, which isn’t that far off,” Alex Lowes said after Race 1. “Before the red flag, I was pretty close to my brother. I battled with him a bit, and I felt comfortable with ten laps to go. I thought I could put him under a bit of pressure; that would have been fun. The restart wasn’t as good: I was behind my brother at the start, but when Montella passed me, it threw me off my rhythm a bit. I’m fast in sections of the track where it’s difficult to overtake. It’s very frustrating; it’s not easy to race hard without the bike to do it. I was pushing the limits trying to fight with those guys, and I have to settle for fifth. I think there are sections where I feel really strong; we can do a bit better tomorrow.”
