SAM LOWES has confirmed he will exit Gresini Racing for a second time in three years amidst speculation placing him at Marc VDS in Moto2 for 2020 in a move that would perceive to make an automatic title contender.
The Briton has endured a frustrating time back in the Moto2 paddock after seeing his MotoGP exploits with the Aprilia factory in 2017come to a premature end in as he struggled with the uncompetitive Italian bike.
After finishing a distant 16th overall on his Moto2 return in 2018, Lowes re-joined Gresini Racing – which runs the Aprilia MotoGP project – for 2019 but flashes of pace have been interspersed by various issues to leave him 14th overall with a best finish of sixth at the Qatar MotoGP opener.
Where is Sam Lowes riding in 2020?
“I have a deal for next year,” Lowes told our sister publication Crash.net. “Not here [at Gresini], but I can’t say where.”
That ‘where’ is speculated to be the Belgian Marc VDS outfit, which is currently well on course for its third Moto2 riders’ title courtesy of Alex Marquez, who notched up his fifth win in six races on Sunday at Brno.
If Lowes were to make the move to the former MotoGP-competing outfit it would give him an excellent platform from which to challenge for the Moto2 title, much like fellow Brit Scott Redding, who finished runner-up with the team back in 2013.
Is Alex Marquez moving up to MotoGP in 2020?
Much will, however, depend on Marquez who looks set to be frozen out of the MotoGP deals despite his upturn in form coming at a critical time in the silly season rider market.
Indeed, the Spaniard – brother of five-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez - had been linked to Avintia Racing in MotoGP for 2020 but that door closed when Tito Rabat was confirmed as staying. The two remaining unconfirmed MotoGP seats for 2020 are Pramac Ducati and LCR Honda but both are all but certainly retaining Jack Miller and Takaaki Nakagami respectively.
Marquez could stay with Marc VDS and has an offer on the table but rumours suggest he has an enticing proposition from Petronas Sprinta Racing to join its Moto2 effort in 2020.
Any switch there would almost certainly include an option to ride with the Yamaha satellite team – which has podiums and three pole positions this season – for 2021.
