Temperature issues cost Alex Lowes at Cremona World Superbike

It was a familiar issue that cost Alex Lowes from fighting for the podium positions in Race 2 at the WorldSBK Italian Round, as rising temperatures cost him grip aboard the Kawasaki ZX-10RR.

Race 2 saw Lowes unable to challenge the leading Ducati riders, and then lose fourth position to Garrett Gerloff at the end.

“It was a difficult Race 2,” Lowes told WorldSBK.com. “When the temperature jumps up, it was a good 10 degrees hotter than the Superpole Race, I didn’t have the pace to stay with the Ducatis.

“On our bike, you really need to use the corner speed to make up that difference, and when it gets hot I can’t use the front tyre like that.

“But I did a good race, I was accepting the position, and trying to stay consistent. Garrett [Gerloff] was catching me, he was sat behind me, but I decided to keep a good pace.

“With three laps to go, I tried to push again and went a few tenths faster, but it looks like Garrett had some more speed and he was able to pass me at the end.

“That’s annoying, to lose the fourth position, I felt like I had a good race, but we did well, did our maximum, I couldn’t do any more today. We have to be happy with P5 .”

Lowes’ Race 2 fifth place was preceded by a podium earned in the Superpole Race thanks not to speed, he said, but tyre choice — Lowes chose the SCX rear tyre, whereas many others, including the Ducati riders he battled on Sunday morning, chose the softer SCQ.

“I think that we didn’t have the speed of the Ducatis this weekend, at all,” Lowes said.

“But I feel like we made a good tyre choice, I had more grip at the end of the Superpole Race.

“I was able to be fast on Friday, ride the bike on the limit, and this is allowing us to enjoy some great results.

“So, back on the podium again, another track on the podium. I think, in general, we have to be happy that we’re up there and fighting with the Ducatis and the BMW.”