Britain’s Sam Lowes believes he has the pace to challenge for a hometown podium in tomorrow’s Moto2 race at the Silverstone MotoGP round but isn’t happy with qualifying in seventh place.
The Derby-based youngster made a massive setup change to his Speed Up today, making the chassis shorter which has sorted out a lack of front-end feel and says that he is able to lap in the 2’08s all day, which should put him at the sharp end.
“I am not happy with seventh but I did all my laps on my own and all the time is lost in sector two, which is a long straight, but I can do that pace all day I just didn’t have any more,” said Lowes, speaking at the track.
“If you look at everyone else’s times their pace is high 2’07s or low 2’08s and I did four of those just now in six laps so I have got the pace. In this class, you qualify seventh but with the slipstream you are there.
“The front is better than yesterday. I am still struggling under power. We made a massive change today and pulled the front closer to me but now on the gas it isn’t sitting down, it’s pivoting which has made another problem, but it’s only a problem in two places. We are going to try something in warm-up to make it sit and not pivot. What would help is an aluminium swingarm…”
