Alex Lowes, the seasoned British rider for Kawasaki Racing Team, recently demonstrated his formidable pace by topping the practice sessions at the World Superbike Championship (WSBK) round at Cremona. As one of the most consistent and experienced riders in the championship, Lowes has enjoyed a productive season thus far. His performance in Cremona reinforced his status as a top contender, but despite finishing at the top of the practice leaderboard, the Kawasaki rider identified a critical area that needs refinement to further enhance his race-day performance.
Dominating the Practice Sessions
Lowes’ dominance in the Cremona practice sessions came as no surprise to those familiar with his style and adaptability. He showed impressive speed throughout the day, consistently outpacing his rivals and setting the fastest lap times. Riding the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR, Lowes took advantage of the new track conditions at Cremona, navigating its tight corners and long straights with precision and finesse.
Speaking to the media after the practice session, Lowes expressed satisfaction with his overall performance. “It’s always great to come out and set the fastest lap in practice,” he said. “The bike felt really good, and the team has done a brilliant job in setting it up for this track. We’ve made significant progress, and I’m feeling confident about our chances this weekend.”
The Pinpoint Area for Improvement
However, despite his top finish in practice, Lowes was quick to acknowledge that there is still work to be done. In a candid post-session debrief, the Kawasaki rider identified one specific area for improvement that could be the key to maintaining his competitive edge throughout the rest of the weekend: braking stability.
“The one area we still need to improve is braking into the slower corners,” Lowes admitted. “I’m losing a bit of time when we need to decelerate hard and fast. It’s not a massive issue, but at this level, every tenth of a second counts, and those small losses can add up.”
The need for more braking stability is particularly crucial on a track like Cremona, where several tight corners demand late braking and quick adjustments. These corners are often where riders make—or lose—significant ground. While Lowes’ Kawasaki has proven itself to be one of the fastest machines on the grid, optimizing the bike’s handling under heavy braking could be the key to turning his fast practice times into a race victory.
Kawasaki’s Efforts to Tackle the Issue
Lowes’ acknowledgment of the braking issue reflects a broader challenge that Kawasaki has faced throughout the season. While the ZX-10RR has been competitive in terms of top speed and acceleration, it has struggled at times with braking performance, particularly when riders need to rapidly decelerate into slow-speed corners. Kawasaki’s technical team, led by crew chief Marcel Duinker, has been working hard to address this issue through various tweaks to the bike’s suspension and electronic systems.
“We’ve been making some adjustments to the suspension settings and experimenting with different setups to try and improve the stability of the bike under braking,” Lowes said. “It’s something that we’ve been working on for a few rounds now, and we’ve made progress, but there’s still room for improvement.”
Kawasaki is no stranger to technical challenges, and its team has a track record of responding swiftly to feedback from its riders. Lowes is confident that the team will be able to make the necessary changes ahead of the race weekend to give him the best possible chance of converting his practice pace into a podium finish.
Looking Ahead to Race Day
Despite the focus on braking stability, Lowes remains optimistic about his chances at Cremona. His strong practice performance has given him a solid foundation heading into qualifying and race day, and he is eager to build on that momentum. “I’m feeling good about the weekend overall,” he said. “We’ve shown we have the pace, and if we can fine-tune the braking, we’ll be in a great position.”
Lowes’ experience and consistency have been his greatest assets throughout the WSBK season, and Cremona could be another opportunity for him to showcase his skill. With the Kawasaki team behind him, and a clear focus on improving his braking performance, Lowes is well-positioned to challenge for victory in what promises to be an exciting weekend of racing.
The Competitive Field
While Lowes has established himself as a front-runner, the competition in the World Superbike Championship remains fierce. Riders like Toprak Razgatlıoğlu, Jonathan Rea, and Alvaro Bautista have all shown exceptional form this season, and Cremona is expected to be another closely contested round. Lowes will need to bring his A-game, not just in terms of speed but also strategy, if he is to come out on top against such formidable opponents.
With his sights set firmly on victory, Lowes and his team will continue working to refine every aspect of their performance as they head into race day. If they can solve the braking issue and maintain their strong pace, there’s every reason to believe that Alex Lowes could be celebrating on the podium at the end of the weekend.
Conclusion
Alex Lowes’ strong showing in practice at the WSBK Cremona round has underlined his status as one of the top contenders in the championship. However, his candid acknowledgment of the need for improvement in braking stability highlights the razor-thin margins that separate the best from the rest in world-class racing. With Kawasaki working diligently to address the issue, Lowes is confident in his ability to convert his practice pace into a strong result on race day. As the weekend progresses, all eyes will be on Lowes to see if he can capitalize on his impressive practice form and secure a top finish at Cremona.
