Marc VDS’ Sam Lowes was back on fine form for the SpanishGP as he claimed the third step of the Jerez Moto2 podium after a fight back from fifth.

A far from ideal getaway off the lights, saw the Brit initially dropping from fifth to eighth by the first corner and despite immediately joining the back of a four-rider fight for second, Lowes didn’t feel comfortable as the race first got underway.

The 30-year old maintained his cool, however, producing a late rally to pass Remy Gardner for fourth on lap 20 before hunting down Raul Fernandez to claim third at turn two on the penultimate lap.

In an outing that broke the previous Moto2 race record, Lowes registered his third podium finish from the opening four races of 2021 and collected 16 important points for his title challenge.

The result also allowed him to climb back to second in the world championship standings, sitting just 3 behind leader Gardner, on 66 points.

“It was really important to get the race distance today after what happened in Portugal” Lowes said after the podium.

“Today I didn’t have the grip I expected in the race but the conditions were like that and I was happy to have the speed at the end. Obviously the pace was hot so even just to sit there [in fifth], you’re obviously still pushing but I didn’t feel mega comfortable.

“The first seven or eight laps were quite good and then in the middle of the race I didn’t feel so good. Honestly, I was not riding so well, made a few mistakes, I was too aggressive with the throttle and I didn’t have great grip so I just took a couple of laps to relax again and find my momentum.

“As always when you work through the weekend, you expect more for the race but to come away with the podium - it was so important to me to finish this race because not only did I not finish in Portugal, I did nothing! I did 300 metres, so it’s difficult then to take any momentum. To miss a race, really, it was nice to come here, get back going and enjoy the battle, do some good moves, not make a too bad start, get the momentum and we pushed all the way to the chequered flag.

“It has been another solid weekend. Nice podium and honestly, the second half of the race is one of my better rides and I can take a lot of confidence from that and look forward to Le Mans. It’s where I scored my first win with this team, so I have great memories!”

The Moto2 title fight seems to be building in strength already, with Fabio Di Giannantonio’s victory cementing him among the cluster of riders already firmly in the mix after the opening four races so how does Lowes view the championship challenge?

“I respect these guys a lot and any of these two guys here [Di Giannantonio and Marco Bezzecchi] plus the two KTM guys, on our day we can win, like Fabio did today. When we feel good, when we’re good with the bike, like me in Qatar, I had an advantage and it’s important to take that. There will be races where potentially that could happen again and races where I’ll be further behind, it’s never easy, there’s four or five of us riding very well, very fast at every track and, on ‘our’ day we can do the job. It’s just about obviously looking at Portugal and not doing that again, because it looks like I’m quite competitive everywhere and on my day I can win, on the other ones I need to do a solid job.

“I threw an opportunity away in Portugal. I’m not saying I could have won the race but I would have been competitive so after the start that I had - it was just an unnecessary mistake - it was just about getting back on the board.

“After the start he made I would not have been able to win anyway” Lowes reflected on the afternoon’s contest.

“Diggia did a great pace, also Bezzecchi was strong, so I’m really happy with the podium. Now I’ve got something really to build on, two wins and a third in the first four races is something real nice to have and we always say that once the European season kicks off is when it really starts, so it was really important to get some momentum and take away from this weekend.

“Jerez as a track is so easy to make a mistake, you’ll see in the MotoGP race, there’s so many corners, turns two, six, 13, not big mistakes but easy to just lose the front and especially over 23 laps, so I was a little bit cautious, a little too much riding a bit tight and it was nice towards the end of the race to ride a bit freer and have the speed like these guys.

“I’ve worked a lot this winter and also in every race weekend, on my pace, and this obviously comes from the team helping me. The team have given me a good plan, just to go out and ride, a lot on used tyres, always with a lot of fuel, so honestly I knew that towards the end of the race, I would be quite strong.

“I didn’t feel amazing and it was just a case of taking a few laps to relax and then come forward again. It was a tough race, this track always is, and mentally I feel good. I fully expect these two guys here to be very strong this year, also the two KTM guys, I’m not surprised obviously, to be in the race with them, so it’s easy to be relaxed. It’s when you start thinking that things are going to be easy or the guys aren’t going to be as strong and then maybe you become more nervous but I have a lot of respect for them and how they ride, It was a case of just, be a bit clever for the middle laps and then obviously at the end I was pushing my maximum. Maybe I have things a little bit more under control than the past years, but it’s always nice to be in the fight.”