Marc VDS’ Sam Lowes was on form for a top-three finish at the Sachsenring on Friday before a late crash cut his afternoon Moto2 practice run short in the closing minutes.

Returning to the German track for the first time since 2019, the Brit battled low grip levels thanks to the Saxony heatwave as he navigated the tight and twisty anti-clockwise layout while retaining competitive times throughout both sessions.

His morning’s best - a 1’25.362 - placed him seventh before he immediately improved, by over half-a-second, as the afternoon got up to speed. The Marc VDS rider’s ultimate effort of 1’24.640 claiming fourth overall at the end of play.

“We improved the bike with a few changes this afternoon because the conditions today were very hot, and it was not easy to find time,” Lowes explained as FP2 concluded.

The Brit’s progress was curtailed in the closing stages, however, after a crash at turn 12, with Lowes concerned over the impact’s effect on his neck.

“It was a shame to have the crash at the end” he admitted.

“I’ve hurt my neck, so I need to go and get that checked because it feels quite sore at the moment.

“This has never been a good track for me, so overall I’m quite happy to be close to the front. We’re missing a bit of pace, but we’ll work hard to improve again tomorrow.”