Moto2, Sam Lowes: the typical "all or nothing" rider

Moto2, Sam Lowes: the typical "all or nothing" rider

The Brit collected his second zero in five races at Le Mans, only highlighting the difficulty he has in settling for a position without trying to win at all costs

19.05.2021 ( Aggiornata il 19.05.2021 17:59 )

Last weekend’s French GP at the Le Mans circuit saw Raul Fernandez win in Moto2 ahead of his team-mate Remy Gardner. The pair now lead the way in the general standings, in front of Marco Bezzecchi and Sam Lowes.

The English MarcVDS rider started the season as outright favourite, after having just missed out on last year’s title, but his crash at Le Mans brought his second “zero” in five races, the rider already 23 points behind the leader.

Winning is not enough


Sam made the best possible start in Qatar, winning both the Losail races from pole position. He also scored pole at Portimão, but his race there lasted just one corner, before he returned to the podium next time out, at the more favourable track of Jerez. But the zero in France once again highlights the Englishman’s limitation, in that he’s extremely fast but less than clear-headed at key moments.

In a Moto2 championship where consistency is key, it’s not enough to win if you’re not also able to settle. It’s true that Sam was able to score the 2013 Supersport title by putting his heart and soul into it, but the same “all or nothing” strategy clearly doesn’t work in the intermediate world championship class, in which (as Gardner, mature when it comes to his race management, is proving) it is perhaps more important to know when to settle rather than pushing too hard and compromising a whole weekend’s work.

The championship is long, and the Englishman of course remains a strong contender for the title. After completing positive test sessions at the Barcelona track with team-mate Augusto Fernandez, we can expect to see a battle-ready Sam Lowes back fighting at the sharp end at Mugello, though perhaps with a little more sense in the opening stages.

Translated by Heather Watson

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