SBK, Alex Lowes' analysis: "Here's why Ducati is still ahead of Bimota

Alex Lowes analyzes some of Ducati’s advantages over Bimota’s reality and admits that having more KB998s on the Superbike grid would be helpful.

Portimão was an important testing ground for many, including Bimota, which hoped to get closer to Ducati. While at Phillip Island it was the second-best manufacturer on the Superbike grid, even taking podiums in the Superpole Race and Race 2, in Portugal it failed to secure any podiums. The best results came from Alex Lowes, who finished fourth three times behind Miguel Oliveira’s BMW. The gaps were small, but the British rider couldn’t get past the home favorite.

It was a below-expectations weekend for Axel Bassani, who arrived at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve second in the overall standings and slipped to third, overtaken by Iker Lecuona. The rider from Veneto finished eighth in all three races, and he certainly had very different goals after being much more competitive in Australia. Clearly, the Bimota technical package is still missing something.

Lowes highlighted how complicated it is to fight against the Ducati riders, also pointing out the strengths they can rely on: “There are so many fast Ducatis in the leading group, that it’s tough to race against them. They’re faster than us on the straights, that’s where they find an advantage, even if we’re not that bad anymore. Their electronics work superbly, they have a lot of data available from MotoGP and the World Superbike Championship. They’re doing a better job and have a more competitive package.”

With the Panigale V4 R, more riders manage to be competitive, as it’s a fairly versatile bike in terms of riding style, unlike the KB998 Rimini: “Each of them rides differently,” explains the Bimota rider, “but they all manage to be fast. With our bike, Axel and I ride very similarly because that’s how it has to be ridden.”

The British rider hopes to see closer racing in the upcoming rounds of the Superbike World Championship, with more riders and more brands fighting for the most important positions: “Nobody wants the championship to be boring. Say what you will, but if Bulega were riding a Honda, he wouldn’t be winning. That’s the reality at the moment. I hope we can close the gap and fight for the top positions.”

For development, Ducati can count on more bikes in the SBK championship, whereas Bimota has only two. Lowes is in favor of having more KB998 Rimini bikes in the future, provided they can be competitive: “Of course, I’d like to see more Bimotas on the grid. It could be a positive if managed well, with the right support. Axel and I are at a similar level now, which already helps a lot. Teams need to be as competitive as possible so they can push each other; in this way, it’s positive for everyone.” We’ll see if, for 2027, a new team will be interested in fielding one or two Bimotas.