Elf Marc VDS Racing Unveils WorldSBK Machine
Cycle News Staff | January 17, 2024
The Elf Marc VDS Racing team will expand from its Moto2 borders in 2024 with Sam Lowes heading back to WorldSBK on a Ducati Panigale V4 R unveiled in the Chateau de Modave in Belgium over the weekend.
Sam Lowes pulls the covers off the beautiful Marc VDS Ducati in Belgium. WorldSBK 2024 is shaping up to be a good show.
Former WorldSSP Champion and multiple Moto2 race winner Lowes will return to the WorldSBK paddock and face brother Alex Lowes (Kawasaki) for the first time on a world level. Lowes was due to race in WorldSBK in 2014 but paid to get out of his contract to move to grand prix racing in Moto2 that season.
“It’s a big new challenge for me to change category after a long time and I’m very happy and motivated to start,” Lowes said. “I’d like to say a huge thanks to Marc for asking me to be the first rider for his team in WorldSBK. The bike is beautiful and it’s an amazing feeling to ride a Ducati.
“I just need to learn the bike, tires, 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.”
