The Elf Marc VDS Racing Team starts the vital European phase of the Moto2 World Championship in Portugal this weekend aiming to maintain its record-breaking winning start to 2021.

• The Algarve International Circuit makes a welcome return to the calendar after its spectacular debut last November and Sam Lowes and Augusto Fernandez are eager to test their skills again on the technical and undulating 4.65km track.
• Lowes goes into the 23-lap race brimming with confidence after becoming the first rider in Moto2 history to win the opening two races from pole position, while Fernandez showed he’s returning to his best form with an excellent top six in the second Qatar clash.

/// AUGUSTO FERNANDEZ

• Fernandez got the perfect reward for his hard work in practice when he starred in an intense seven-rider battle for the top five last time out in Doha.
• The 23-year-old finished sixth and he’s ready to launch another strong challenge this weekend in Portugal after he took the chequered flag just over a second from fourth position during the final round of 2020.

“I want to be closer to the top group”

“I’m really excited to start the weekend in Portimao. It is a track that I really enjoy riding at and last year was a very positive weekend for me. I was competitive in all the sessions and we ended with a decent result as well. I can’t wait to start working again to try and improve on the good feeling we found in the last race when I was in a very strong group battle. The target is to try and be closer to the top group because we made a big step in the last race and I want to be even stronger this weekend.”

/// SAM LOWES

• Imperious Lowes became the first Briton to kick off an intermediate World Championship campaign with a double win since MotoGP Legend Mike Hailwood in 1966 with a thrilling win in the Tissot Grand Prix of Doha.
• The 30-year-old rode through the pain barrier with a fractured right wrist to take a heroic third in Portimao five months ago. A victory on Sunday will make him only the second rider to win the first three races of a Moto2 campaign after Franco Morbidelli managed to do so in 2017 while also racing in the famous livery of Marc VDS Racing.

“The clear target is to fight for the podium again”

“I can’t wait to get to Portimao. It’s a circuit I love and last year I couldn’t enjoy riding there as much as I’d like with the injury. But I have good memories of fighting for the world title until the closing laps and taking a podium. The track is technical and I’m excited to get there to continue our strong start to the season and to see what’s possible now we are in Europe. But the clear target is to fight for the podium again.”