The winter break is over and it’s all systems go for Sam Lowes and the Elf Marc VDS Racing Team as the countdown to round one in the 2026 WorldSBK campaign kicked off with a weather disrupted two-day test session in Spain this week.
Raring to get his 2026 preparations underway after an intense winter of physical training, Lowes didn’t get to complete a single lap on the opening day as rain curtailed any hopes of meaningful testing.
Cool overnight temperatures meant Lowes was greeted by a wet surface once again on the morning of day two and the 35-year-old only ventured out of the pits during the final afternoon as track conditions finally started to dry out.
Lowes was able to complete a short but important stint of 27 laps of the 4.42km track, but his test ended prematurely when rain started to fall once again late on the second afternoon.
The Elf Marc VDS Racing Team will hope for more favourable weather when it crosses the border into Portugal for the second pre-season outing at the Algarve International Circuit next week.
Words and Image courtesy of Marc VDS Racing Team
