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Alex Lowes

Riding Number:
22
Class:
WorldSBK
Date of birth:
14 September 1990
Place of birth:
Lincoln, United Kingdom
Hometown:
Loughborough

As Alex Lowes enters his fifth full season as a KRT WorldSBK team member the proven race-winner has a new team-mate and a new pit crew working alongside him as he aims to enjoy his most rewarding and successful WorldSBK season to date.

Having finished the 2019 WorldSBK season in third place overall - recording the best championship ranking of his career - Alex was a tempting choice for the official KRT squad to be part of the factory rider line up ahead of another new campaign.

Lowes secured his status of third in the championship in 2019 at the very last round, showing a cool head and big heart again when it mattered most. Not so surprising maybe; not for a former British Superbike champion and a three-time winner of the prestigious Suzuka 8-Hours EWC race.

The twin brother of former WorldSSP champion and Moto2 race winner Sam, Alex Lowes started out road racing in the JRA Championship in his native Britain. In 2003 he took part in the one-make Superteen championship, which at that time was seen as a hotbed for developing young British talent.

After a season of club racing in 2004 the British 125cc championship beckoned in 2005 and 2006. With almost every race class becoming a four-stroke formula at this stage Lowes took in a season of British Supersport 600 racing in 2007 before an ambitious move into international competition.
 
One year in the Superstock 600 Championship and the next in the Superstock 1000 Championship (each being European-based support classes inside the WorldSBK paddock) gave Alex valuable experience that he took into the British Supersport championship in 2010. That same season he also had his first BSB experiences before taking part in three successive national Superbike championships between 2011 and 2013.

Finishing first 20th, then fourth and finally champion in 2013, Lowes proved all he could on the national scene before returning to the Superbike World Championship, this time as a full time rider inside the official Suzuki team.

His first WorldSBK podiums occurred in the 2014 and 2015 campaigns; initially at well-known circuits for Alex like Assen and Donington, then at the new venue of Buriram in Thailand.

A change of manufacturer saw Lowes compete for four years in Yamaha colours, scoring a further 17 podiums, including his breakthrough win at Brno in 2018. He even enjoyed two MotoGP race experiences in 2016, scoring points in one race.

As well as his increasing WorldSBK abilities Lowes has also proven himself a true star in the prestigious Suzuka 8-Hour race, having won it three times in succession from 2016 onwards.

A season-best nine WorldSBK podiums in 2019, added to his career-best third place overall made Alex an understandable choice for Kawasaki’s official effort in the 2020 season.

Winning the final race of the opening WorldSBK weekend at Phillip Island, Lowes left Australia with a championship lead that would last for some time as the race season was suspended for many months due to the global pandemic.

Finally scoring one race win and four podiums in 2020 Lowes finished up sixth in the championship table. A pre-season injury was to hamper Alex all through the 2021 season on the re-engineered Ninja ZX-10RR, but his determination and skill still saw him take five podium finishes and finish eighth overall.

Alex had another slightly complicated season in 2022, but in scoring four WorldSBK podiums and setting two fastest laps in races he finished inside the overall top six. He also linked up with old friends Leon Haslam and Jonathan Rea to ride for KRT in the Suzuka 8-Hours race, finishing second overall.

In 2023 Lowes had some highpoints and some other injury issues that held back his overall championship campaign, as he ended up taking a podium in the early season, in an overall 11th place.

In a refreshed KRT line-up for 2024 Lowes is the more experienced rider in the Kawasaki pit boxes for the first time. He aims to make the most of this latest opportunity, especially in a season which will see some top riders changing teams and some new technical regulations coming into force, all of which should change the recent dynamics of the overall competition.

CAREER RESUME

  1. 2022

    6th Superbike World Championship, 4 Podiums, 2 Fastest Laps

  2. 2021

    8th Superbike World Championship

  3. 2020

    6th Superbike World Championship

  4. 2019

    3rd Superbike World Championship

  5. 2018

    6th Superbike World Championship

  6. 2017

    5th Superbike World Championship

  7. 2016

    12th Superbike World Championship

  8. 2015

    10th Superbike World Championship

  9. 2014

    11th Superbike World Championship

  10. 2009

    26th Superstock 1000

  11. 2008

    16th Superstock 600