With 2018 washed out and 2020 off the MotoGP calendar due to the pandemic, Marc VDS’ Sam Lowes is looking forward to performing in front of his home fans at Silverstone this weekend.

The only visit in recent years, 2019 came to a disappointing end after Lowes crashed out on the penultimate lap fighting for top-10 contention, his now teammate, Augusto Fernandez, taking the win.

While every race on the Moto2 calendar is important, especially when launching a title challenge, Silverstone means that bit more for the Lincoln-born rider.

“This one’s important for me personally, given that it’s the home race,” Lowes explained from the Silverstone paddock on Thursday.

“We didn’t get a home race last year so I’m going to enjoy it to see the fans around. It’s important also for the way the season’s going. After the last race, [which was] not too bad, if I can come here and get a solid result back on the podium, will be a nice last five or six races we’ve finished consistently.

“It’s an important weekend, obviously I want to win here, to win the British Grand Prix would mean a lot to me because not many British riders have won the British Grand Prix. A track that I love, track that I enjoy and it’s come at a good time for me,” he continued.

“We have great fans here and it’s also nice for them so last year was a loss. We know the season last year was quite a lot different to this one. There was a lot of races close together, a lot more stricter bubble, or back-to-back races at the same track so it was hard to do, so we understand why we didn’t have it but of course it would have been nice to have a back-to-back here!

“I’m really happy it’s on the calendar, really happy that now - obviously the paddock and everything’s closed - but really happy to have the fans in the grandstand and it will be a good emotion to be back riding in front of them.

“It’s a nice track. It’s actually more of a European style track, the most European style track we have in England. I like it, very fast and flowing. Feel like there’s quite a lot too it, it’s quite a long lap so you can really get stuck in and feel like you can make a difference - especially coming from Austria, which is so different.

“I think it’s just a good track, a big track. Fast, flowing, lots of places to pass, and lots of places where, if you’re like me, you can put effort in and make a lap-time. It’s always really hard to put the perfect lap together in quali because it’s so long. You normally do good sectors but to get them all together is difficult but great track, great racing normally and just an enjoyable one.”

As is usually the case when the BritishGP comes around, the age-old ‘Donington vs Silverstone’ battle begins to flare. Lowes is clear that MotoGP is where it should be for the current era, but would, like most, prefer it if they were both a regular feature on the calendar.

“Right now is probably no question, Silverstone’s the better track and facility,” the Marc VDS rider put simply.

“This weekend, there is going to be a lot of fans here so for the fact of the fans, the track, the facilities, it’s the best track we have.

“I’m very biased, Donington’s a great track for me, one I’ve always lived close to and always gone well at and is very enjoyable to ride. There’s always the debate, it was nice when the Grand Prix was at Donington, is really nice now it’s here at Silverstone. Probably the way the bikes are now and the way that this track is, it’s probably better to have it here but they could put two on, and then we have two. That would be perfect!”

Fresh from a fourth place at Austria - a track he openly admits to struggling at, and even described as ‘his nemesis’ in recent weeks - Lowes is feeling confident about both himself and the second half of the season.

“ I feel good!” he said when questioned.

“Mental, good, honestly. Important weekend for me, the second Austria. The first one didn’t go so good and was a very difficult track for me, so to come away from Austria with a good fourth position - obviously you want to be on the podium - but it was a solid race and getting the pole position, I had some good feeling, so mentally I arrive here quite well. Physically no problem, feeling good and yeah, the season’s not gone quite as I would have hoped, but it’s also not been terrible. There’s been some good points and the last race, I thought, was a positive one so to come into Silverstone off that result was nice.”

The title-fight however, seems to have slipped through his fingers, with the Brit currently sitting fourth on 114 points after 11 rounds - 92 points adrift of leader Remy Gardner, and 45 behind Marco Bezzecchi in third - and seven races left to run.

“Obviously it doesn’t happen in one moment, a few bad races in a row, and a few good races for them and the gap becomes bigger,” Lowes explained.

“When I made the mistake in Mugello, really, the two before okay, but if I’d have just finished the race there, would be probably, another 20, maybe even 25 points closer. It’s hard to take, when you fight for the championship or you start the year like I did.

“You want to fight for the championship. It’s disappointing but it’s also true that there’s always another season, and I have to learn from that. Of course, in history I’ve made too many mistakes, again in this year but I feel like they’re all different. I feel like every season is different and if I can just improve, comeback, finish the year strong then we can have another kick at it next year.

“It’s difficult to swallow because we all want to win, the other 30 guys on the grid want to win and the level of the top-two, even Bezzecchi, but especially the top-two guys this year has been very consistent and very, very early let’s say, to make a big gap so it’s quite different to some other seasons. Well done to them, they deserve it more than me, especially for this point so I just have to swallow it, accept it, improve and try and be better, second half of this year and better next year.

“I think the races now, with the tyres and the way the Triumph is, you have no margin. You have to do the best lap every lap, more or less within a tenth, and all the way to the end. So this is more difficult, maybe a little bit different to some other years.

“The level’s high, the level is always high every year. I think the two guys on Aki’s bikes are doing a great job, and I think they’ll do well next year in MotoGP. It’s hard every year, it will be hard again next year, even with the people going up, there’ll be some people you don’t think of coming up strong. It’s a great class. I think with somebody like me in it, that is a bit older than some of the other guys and been around a bit longer, it’s good to see where the levels are, and it’s also good to see the guys move up straight away and be competitive. I think it’s a great advertisement for the class and shows what’s possible. Be successful in Moto2, the guys are willing to bet on you for MotoGP because the level is, a step up but not as big as maybe some of the years.”