Home round brings podiums — and a record — for Sam and Alex
Lincolnshire brothers Sam and Alex Lowes turned their home round into a celebration of speed at Donington Park, delivering a weekend of podiums, relentless front‑running pace and a headline‑grabbing lap record in the 2026 Motul FIM Superbike World Championship. Competing only a short hop from their home county, the pair drew a sizeable travelling support from across Lincolnshire and rewarded it handsomely.
Riding for Elf Marc VDS Racing Ducati, Sam stitched together a measured and fast performance across the three races, banking two third‑place finishes. In Sunday’s 10‑lap sprint he went one better on outright speed, stopping the clocks at 1:25.124 — confirmed as a new WorldSBK race lap record for Donington Park — and finished just 3.346 seconds behind the winner. Alex, representing Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team, matched his brother’s intent throughout the weekend and came away with a robust top‑five in the opening long race after running in the leading pack for much of the distance.
Friday set the tone for a front‑running weekend
The weekend’s direction was clear from the first laps. Sam opened with the third‑fastest time in FP1 and closed Friday sixth overall, looking comfortable on Donington’s flowing, fast sweepers. Alex laid down his own marker with fourth overall on the combined Friday times, ending the day as the top non‑Ducati and positioning himself as a realistic podium threat.
Both men then translated that practice speed into strong qualifying runs in Saturday’s Tissot Superpole, locking themselves into competitive grid slots and setting up a home‑round dogfight in front of thousands lining the National Straight, Craner Curves and the Melbourne Loop.
Results at a glance
| Rider | Team | Friday pace | Feature race (Sat) | Superpole Race (Sun) | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Lowes | Elf Marc VDS Racing Ducati | P3 FP1, P6 overall | P3 | P3, +3.346s | 1:25.124 race lap record |
| Alex Lowes | Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team | P4 overall (top non‑Ducati) | Top‑five finish | Not stated | Consistent front‑pack pace |
Why it matters for Lincolnshire fans
For supporters making the relatively short journey from Lincolnshire, this was precisely the kind of weekend they had hoped for: both brothers inside the sharp end from the first sessions, with a podium for Sam in the opening long race and another in the sprint on Sunday. Alex’s run inside the top four for long stretches of the feature race underscored his speed and consistency on a circuit that can punish even minor errors.
Beyond the silverware, Sam’s race lap record offers a tangible marker of where his pace sits in the current WorldSBK field. Donington’s unique blend — fast, undulating first sector followed by heavy‑braking, low‑gear corners to the flag — rewards riders who can keep momentum without burning up tyres. Setting a new race lap benchmark here speaks to both outright confidence and race‑condition execution.
How the weekend unfolded
• Friday: Sam immediately slotted into the lead group on time, ending the day sixth overall; Alex’s fourth overall on combined times marked him as the best of the rest outside the Ducati armada.
• Saturday: With solid qualifying in the bank, Sam converted his pace to a composed third in the opening feature race, shadowing the leaders. Alex held firm in the top four for long spells, securing a hard‑earned top‑five.
• Sunday: The sprint condensed the action into ten laps, and Sam edged back onto the podium while laying down a new WorldSBK race lap record at Donington. The margin to victory — 3.346 seconds — underlined how tightly contested the front was.
Local takeaway
- Podium pedigree on home soil: Two rostrums for Sam and a front‑pack showing from Alex gave Lincolnshire fans a weekend to savour.
- Record rewritten: Sam’s 1:25.124 stands as the new WorldSBK race lap record at Donington Park.
- Momentum building: With competitive qualifying and race pace now banked, both riders leave their local round with confidence for the next phase of the season.
For a county that follows its own closely, this was one of those weekends where the short drive down the A46 and across to the Leicestershire border felt thoroughly worthwhile. The names were familiar, the riding was fierce, and, for a few laps at least, all eyes at Donington Park were on two brothers from Lincolnshire making the place their own.
