Golf in the garden, rehabilitation training, plans to get creative in the kitchen and a lot of quality time with his family. That’s Sam Lowes’ time in this period of social distancing.

How are you and how are you living this current situation?

“The situation we’re going through on a global level is very complicated. We must be aware of it, listen to those who know about it and unite to overcome the difficult times we are going through. I am spending these weeks at home in England with my fiancée and my daughter. Fortunately, the three of us are fine and we are trying to make the most of this time together.”

How is your day-to-day life?

“I get up early because my shoulder doesn’t let me sleep much at all. My daughter (Kathryn) also wakes up early, so we play right away and have breakfast. Then I usually do stretching and recovery exercises for my shoulder. In England, we can go running once a day and I take the opportunity to do that. In the middle of the day we eat and relax a bit by watching TV. In the afternoon, I play with Kathryn in the garden where I also try to practice some golf! To finish the day I do some more exercises, especially to recover from my shoulder, have dinner and go to bed!”

What is the best and worst of this current situation?

“The best thing is that I am with my fiancée and my daughter and we can share quality time and peace of mind. Plus, I’m getting valuable extra man time. The worst thing, apart from the fact that I miss riding and Grand Prix racing, is that this crisis is about people’s health and we don’t know how or when it will be solved. Seeing people suffer with their health and being concerned for the health of their loved ones, with the added uncertainty of not knowing, is very hard.

Have you discovered any new skills at home these days?

“The truth is that I am getting involved a lot in the housework and I am the best at making my fiancée’s morning coffee. I haven’t dared to go into the kitchen much yet, but it will be the next territory to be conquered! Let the kitchen tremble!”

Recommend us…

. One book: “Ego is the Enemy”, Ryan Holiday

. One series: ‘Suits’ is my favourite series

. A film: ‘Top Gun’

. Activity to do in boring moments: Stretching

How’s your shoulder?

“It’s not perfect, but it’s getting better. Every day I feel stronger and I’m getting more mobile. It still bothers me at night and it’s hard for me to sleep well, but the improvement is great. I needed some extra time to get it ready. I don’t like having it because of a situation like this, but I’m taking advantage of it and optimising it as much as I can to recover 100%.”

How do you keep in shape in quarantine?

“I’m training daily. I focus mainly on running for cardio and I also do general toning exercises and shoulder rehabilitation at home.”

How difficult is it to stay focused and train without knowing your return date?

“It is not easy to plan an optimal physical preparation without knowing the date for when we have to be 100% prepared and physically fit. I try to stay positive and stay in shape and when more details are known, we will get into it even more thoroughly. I am motivated, positive and focused on the things I can control. The most important thing is that we collectively beat the virus and overcome the pandemic to get back to normal. Once we do that we can focus on our passion and on racing again.”

The start of the year has been doubly strange for you as you were unable to ride at all due to the injury…

“The truth is, it’s all been strange both in pre-season and the season opener. The injury altered all the plans. I worked very hard to be able to get back on the bike in Qatar and I am partly happy because I made it. On Friday, I could ride and do more than 20 laps with a constant progression. I was excited with progress, but the pain in my shoulder and the good sense of the team made me realise that it wasn’t worth risking aggravating the injury in case of a fall. I won’t deny that I was angry and that I didn’t like watching the first race from the garage, but seen in perspective, we made the best decision.”

And after the first Grand Prix, how do you see the season in Moto2?

“This year the category will be tighter than ever. There are a lot of riders who have shown they can go very fast in the tests and at the first Grand Prix. To make a list of favourites at this moment is almost impossible. I am convinced that it will be an exciting season with many surprises and a big group of names fighting for the top positions. I’m looking forward to getting the season back on track and building up a solid base for the future.”