Sam Lowes: crash at over 200 km/h and double fracture — update on his condition

Lowes explained his condition after the injury sustained in the opening Superbike round at Phillip Island.

A few riders left Australia disappointed after the first WorldSBK weekend of 2026. Some because of the results, others due to injuries; the latter includes Sam Lowes, who was running third in Race 2 when he crashed at high speed at Turn 3. The track was wet, and he wasn’t the only one to make a mistake. Unfortunately, there were physical consequences: he was diagnosed with a fracture in his left wrist and bruising to his right hand and left ankle.

Weeks after the incident at Phillip Island, the Marc VDS rider spoke to the official WorldSBK website about what happened: "Conditions were much wetter than expected, which made setting up the bike more complicated. I made a small mistake at Turn 3: I was struggling a bit on entry and lost the rear with a closed throttle. It was a big high-speed crash, over 200 km/h, with a lot of rolling in the gravel. Until that point the race was going pretty well, so it’s a shame to have finished it like that."

While in Australia it seemed there was only one fracture, a second was discovered upon returning home; fortunately, there was no need to go to the operating room: "The circuit medical staff were fantastic," says Sam Lowes, "and they got me ready for the flight. Then, once back home, I went to see Mike Hayton in Manchester, a very good hand specialist whom I know very well. He diagnosed two fractures: one in the hand and one in the wrist. The hand isn’t a big issue; it’s the fifth metacarpal. As for the wrist, it’s the radial styloid, which is a bit more problematic and needs more rest. But no surgery was necessary."

The British rider is somewhat physically limited at the moment, but he’s doing cardio training and also weights, as much as possible. He explained that he has also seen a physiotherapist and has been in a hyperbaric chamber a couple of times. His plan is to be able to ride already at the Superbike test in Portimão (March 9–10), although the main goal is to take part in the round to be held at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve on the weekend of March 27–29: "I want to try to ride during the test, because we want to keep working on the bike; there are some things we couldn’t try in the winter. It’s a big effort so soon after the injury, but during the test I can take it easy and rest between stints. So I’ll try in the test, but the main focus will be on the race. Luckily, there’s time before race weekend, so I can keep working hard to be ready for Round 2."

Lowes knows it won’t be easy to ride his Ducati Panigale V4 R next week, but he intends to give it a go, convinced he can manage his injury and still work effectively. We’ll see whether he and the Marc VDS team will actually test at Portimão alongside the other SBK squads. If so, Sam will need to avoid pushing and taking risks; otherwise, he could worsen his situation and jeopardize his participation in the second round of the 2026 calendar.