With a long summer break coming to an end, Sam Lowes and the Elf Marc VDS Racing Team have been back on track for a two-day test session at MotorLand Aragon ahead of a return to race action in round nine at the Magny-Cours track in France

Back on board the Ducati Panigale V4R machine for the first time since his stunning double podium at the Balaton Park Circuit in Hungary in late July, Lowes was immediately back up to speed despite track conditions being far from ideal on day one.

The test was the perfect way to get refocused ahead of the French round on the weekend of September 5-7 while also getting important set-up work completed in advance of the Aragon round in late September.

/// SAM LOWES: 1:48.956, 130 LAPS

Testing on day one on Monday morning got off to a slow start as rain disrupted proceedings and it wasn’t until after the lunch break that any meaningful testing could begin on a dry but dirty surface.

Once track conditions were more favourable, Lowes had a busy afternoon blowing off the summer break cobwebs and he posted a best time of 1:49.517, which was fast enough to finish third behind the best times set by WorldSBK title contenders Nicolo Bulega and Toprak Razgatlioglu.

A dry second day allowed Lowes to conduct several set-up experiments ahead of the final four rounds of 2025 and once again he was able to set some of the most competitive times.

An impressive late attack of 1:48.598 ensured Lowes ended the test as the fastest Ducati rider, with only series leader Razgatlioglu lapping quicker.

With 72 laps completed on day two, the 34-year-old declared himself satisfied with progress and confident that he will be firmly in the mix for the podium once again in Magny-Cours next weekend.

“A really good test and now I can’t wait to race again”

“It has been a very productive test and I’m happy with my performance on the second day because I felt we made a step with my pace on used tyres. I was able to be very fast on tyres that had done close to race distance, so that is really positive. We were able to try a few parts that we normally wouldn’t get the chance to on a race weekend and it was like always. You find some positives and some negatives but I feel we have made a step in braking and helping me stop the bike. Aragon is a track I’ve always loved and the layout suits the Ducati well, but it is nice to come away knowing we are competitive and strong. It was also nice to get back with my crew after a few weeks off and now I’m really looking forward to getting back racing in Magny-Cours next weekend where I believe we can perform well again.”