The WorldSBK Championship returns to European shores this weekend with Sam Lowes and the Elf Marc VDS Racing Team eager to attack Portugal’s jaw-dropping Algarve International Circuit.

Lowes is no stranger to Portimão having raced there five times previously in the Moto2 World Championship, but this weekend will be his competitive WorldSBK debut at the 4.6km track after a left collarbone injury forced him to miss the Portuguese round last season.

Lowes begins preparations for round two with FP1 at 1040am local time on Friday morning.

Confidence and expectations are high for Lowes this weekend after he kicked off 2025 in brilliant fashion with a trio of top 10 finishes in the season opener at Phillip Island last month.

The British star’s superb fifth place in the Superpole Race in Australia was his best result to date in WorldSBK and he is determined to build on the momentum gained in round one.

Lowes has an impressive CV at Portimao which includes a WorldSSP victory back in 2013 and two podium finishes in Moto2 in 2020 and 2021.

“I’m looking forward to racing at such a spectacular track”

“I’m arriving in Portimão with a positive feeling and looking forward to building on a solid performance from the opening round in Phillip Island. We’ve already been to Portimão a couple of times this year but unfortunately the weather wasn’t too kind to us, so fingers crossed this weekend we get some good conditions to produce some good racing. We were in the mix at the last test, and we’ve got some good data to analyse, and I feel ready for another strong weekend. After missing the Portimão round last year with injury, I’m just really looking forward to racing again at this spectacular track.”