10-13 Portugal – Portimão – WSBK 2019: Van der Mark and Lowes remain on the factory Yamaha – Used YAMAHA

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WSBK 2019: Van der Mark and Lowes stay on factory Yamaha

10-13 Portugal - Portimão - WSBK 2019: Van der Mark and Lowes remain on the factory Yamaha - Used YAMAHA

The two official Yamaha riders will keep their World Superbike handlebars for next season! Michael van der Mark currently third in the 2018 championship, and Alex Lowes fifth, are logically renewed in their role: to win the R1 !

Started in 2016, a year after the release of the last YZF-R1, is now bearing fruit: the two factory pilots Michael van der Mark and Alex Lowes are currently in the World Top 5 and aim higher. next year…

The readers of Site – who, as everyone knows, have a little more living memory than others – remember that Sylvain Guintoli "Himself" had hoisted the last generation R1 on the podium in WSBK: it was. Our favorite No.50 was recovering valiantly from a heavy injury.

  • Interview MNC Guintoli :
  • Interview MNC Van der Mark :
  • MNC Interview Alex Lowes :

A few weeks later, however, despite its magnificent end to the season and its tremendous development work on the Iwata Superbike, our 2014 world champion was forced to bow out. Yamaha preferred to bet on a younger rider … Sacrebleu !

Also titled in 2014, but in the World Supersport category, Michael van der Mark (born October 26, 1992) joined the Yamaha factory team in 2017, alongside Alex Lowes (born September 14, 1990). . Interviewed at the start of the season by MNC, the two young riders had the same goal: to win their first World Superbike race..

10-13 Portugal - Portimão - WSBK 2019: Van der Mark and Lowes remain on the factory Yamaha - Used YAMAHA

Authors of four and two podiums respectively last year, the English n ° 22 and the Dutch n ° 60 had to wait until 2018 to open their counter. It is besides "Magic" Michael who has, (England). And the guy has !

Two weeks later in Brno (Czech Republic), it was Alex’s turn – Sam’s twin who races in Moto2 – from. The 2013 British Superbike champion rewarded the efforts and loyalty of the Crescent team of Paul Denning.

10-13 Portugal - Portimão - WSBK 2019: Van der Mark and Lowes remain on the factory Yamaha - Used YAMAHA

As a reminder, it was this team based in Dorset (England) in charge of aligning the two Yamaha prepared by the racing department of Yamaha Europe in its headquarters in Gerno di Lesmo (Italy) who had put Mister Lowes in World Superbike. in 2014 … on their Suzuki of the time.

The Blues want their second star

Not to change anything about a team that is "starting to win" is an obvious and logical decision. On the other hand, the challenge in which Yamaha, Van der Mark and Lowes are embarking is terribly difficult: it is about beating Kawasaki and its three-time world champion Jonathan Rea !

10-13 Portugal - Portimão - WSBK 2019: Van der Mark and Lowes remain on the factory Yamaha - Used YAMAHA

In the constructors’ championship, Yamaha occupies a fine but distant third place, with 282 points scored, against 153 for Aprilia, 336 for Ducati and 395 for Kawasaki. The two official R1s conscientiously took turns – sometimes found – within the Top 6 of each of the twenty 2018 races contested to date..

To fight for the 2019 title, Yamaha factory riders will not have to step off the podium. For the record, this is what Noriyuki Haga and Troy Corser had – almost – managed to do in 2007, the year of Yamaha’s only World Superbike coronation..

10-13 Portugal - Portimão - WSBK 2019: Van der Mark and Lowes remain on the factory Yamaha - Used YAMAHA

Currently third in the drivers’ championship thanks to his double, his five other podiums and his six additional Top 6s, Michael van der Mark is still 30 points behind Chaz Davies and his Ducati n ° 7 … and 122 points of the world "Number One" and its ZX-10RR.

The step is even higher for Alex Lowes who shares with Marco Melandri fifth place in the provisional 2018 with a total of 193 points, 25 less than Tom Sykes – who will leave Kawasaki at the end of the year! – and 45 less than VDM. To be continued, on Site of course !

Statements

Michael van der Mark, n ° 60:
“I’m really happy to have signed for a third season with Yamaha. I believe in this project, Yamaha believes in me as a rider so it’s a solid combination. Although we are still looking to improve, it is clear that we have made significant progress, so much so that we are now winning races and fighting ahead every weekend. I look forward to building on this and taking the next step forward. We are working to achieve our main objective: to fight together for the title of world champion ".

Alex Lowes, # 22:
"I’m really happy to keep my job in the Yamaha World Superbike project, as I’ve been involved since the brand’s return to the discipline in 2016. We’ve been through a lot together, with ups and downs, but we are clearly on an upward trajectory. It was great to have my first win this season, but this success obviously means that we expect more every weekend. I believe in this project so much that my ambition has always been to win the world title. But I don’t think that is unrealistic, given the progress that has been made. I have never enjoyed racing so much as with this team and will continue to give my all to bring Yamaha where it matters. A big thank you to Eric de Seynes, Andrea Dosoli and Paolo Pavesio at Yamaha, as well as to Paul Denning of the Crescent team, for believing in me ".

Éric de Seynes, Yamaha Europe "n ° 1":
"We are delighted to continue our cooperation with Alex and Michael for the 2019 WorldSBK season. They have done a fantastic job for Yamaha in the Superbike World Championship so far, and the 2018 season has been the most successful since our return to 2016, with three race wins and 10 podiums halfway through the championship (two-thirds, Editor’s note). And obviously, Alex and Michael have played an important role in our success. We look forward to the coming season with confidence and are working to achieve our ultimate goal: the Superbike World Championship title for Yamaha ".

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