MCN’s top ten WSB riders: 10th

A remarkable season of FIM Superbike World Championship racing delivered an eclectic bunch of riders onto the podiums, from Australia to Qatar and all points in between. MCN’s entirely subjective rider run-down grades the top WSB riders from ten to one.

10th: Alex Lowes

• Championship position: 11th
• Wins: 0
• Podiums: 2

The jump from the low-tech BSB Championship to the semiconductor-heavy WSB paddock is more than one step away for even a talented BSB champion to tackle.

That was a reality that the super-confident Lowes rebelled against for some time; such was his self-belief that he could ride around all problems. He was obliged to accept that electronics and race distance pace make up at least half the battle as the season wore on.

 

If it were all about the riding then Lowes would have finished higher than the last of the official entries on a full SBK machine.

Re-learning tracks all the way on a 220bhp Superbike, despite his previous international travels in Superstock, was another factor that hampered Lowes’ eventual championship finish. Lots of tracks were all new for him, but not for some of his rivals.

Given the opportunity, whether by conditions or track knowledge (at Assen and Donington), Lowes leapfrogged many top riders all the way to the podium. Even for a proven BSB champ this was a real achievement in his rookie season.

With even less tech to worry about in 2015 Lowes approaches year two in WSB in great shape.