Sam Lowes has made the switch from Moto2 to World Superbikes for the 2024 season, but has stuck with Marc VDS, being the pioneer of their WorldSBK project.

After 10 seasons in the MotoGP paddock Sam Lowes has decided the time has come to join his brother, Alex Lowes, in the World Superbike paddock.

Sam will be riding for the ELF Marc VDS Racing Team and will be onboard a Ducati Panigale V4R. The 33-year-old British rider will bring a wealth of experience to the new WorldSBK project for the squad.

Ahead of his first season in WorldSBK Lowes was very grateful for the opportunity that was given to him by the Marc VDS squad: “I’m very happy and proud to continue working with this great team and to be riding for Marc once again. It’s a big new challenge for me to change category after a long time and I’m very happy and motivated to start. I’d like to say a huge thanks to Marc for asking me to be the first rider for his team in WorldSBK. 

As well as being in a new Championship with a new bike Lowes will also have a new crew and crew chief to work with in the 2024 season: “I’m really excited to continue working with my new crew chief Giovanni to progress my understanding of the bike. I just need to learn the bike, tyres, and format over a race weekend with the three races. The first goal in the tests will be to make the bike mine and feel comfortable. I just need laps and mileage on the bike to understand many things. But this will come and if we had to go racing today, I feel we could do a good job.

There has been a lot of talk about how Lowes will get on in the WorldSBK class. However, the British rider has set his goals and has his ambitions set high for the 2024 season: “The goal though is to fight at the front. I hope to be in the fight for podiums and wins and to learn a lot. Also being top Independent rider has to be a target.”