What a way to sign off. British rider Sam Lowes of the ELF Marc VDS Racing Team wrapped up his 2026 campaign in style at the Circuito de Jerez - Angel Nieto, Andalucia, securing his first podium triple since Aragon and stamping his authority with a Race 1 silver medal. In a season where the top two steps have been an exclusive playground for factory Ducati machines, the #14 carved his name into the record books as only the fourth rider to break that stranglehold. More than that, the Spanish Round results vaulted him to fourth in the Riders' Championship, nabbing crucial bragging rights over his brother Alex Lowes, who rides for the bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team and finished the year in fifth place.
The turnaround came just when it was needed, following a bruising weekend at Estoril where the #14 scraped together a meager six points—his lowest haul since Misano back in June. He came out swinging in southern Spain, grabbing second in the Tissot Superpole session and outpacing Iker Lecuona of the Aruba.it Racing - Ducati squad by a tenth. That grid advantage translated instantly in Race 1 as he fended off the #7 early on, settling into a groove that left more than two seconds between them by Lap 8 on the way to a stellar runner-up finish.
Sunday morning brought colder, overcast skies and the Tissot Superpole Race. An overnight setup tweak by the factory Ducati camp saw the #7 push the Brit back to third at the Turn 6 hotspot on the opening lap. While Nicolo Bulega of Aruba.it Racing - Ducati checked out at the front, Lecuona and Lowes pulled clear of the chasing pack, with the #14 crossing the line just shy of four seconds behind the Spaniard, yet nearly four seconds ahead of Yari Montella from the Barni Spark Racing Team in fourth.
Race 2 tested every ounce of grit left in the paddock. Alvaro Bautista, fighting for the Barni Spark Racing Team with his 2027 future still hanging in the balance, launched from sixth into third off the line. Meanwhile, the #14 bogged down with a wheelie at the lights, dropping to fifth before clawing back to fourth by Turn 6 of the opening lap. As spots of rain began to fall by Lap 16, Lowes unleashed a hellacious charge, shaving half a second on Lap 16, four tenths on Lap 17, and nearly a full second on Lap 18. He lunged past the two-time World Champion at Turn 5 on the final lap, securing the final podium spot just moments before the heavens opened into a torrential downpour.
Reflecting on his late-race duel with Bautista, Sam Lowes said: “I’m really happy with the Tissot Superpole Race. I got a bad start in Race 2, I didn’t have quite as good of a feeling, but the pace was strong, Alvaro rode really well. I just kept pushing to the end after trying to save the front tyre over the middle laps. I got a tad lucky with the conditions, but they’re the same for everybody and I’m happy to finish the season like that."
He added: “The rain made it hard in the first sector. It got a bit nerve-wracking, as we would push hard in the other sectors but then need to be careful there. We got really, really lucky; we could go at a normal speed, but 3-4 minutes later it became a torrential downpour."
Beyond the weekend's trophies, the campaign weighed heavily on the ELF Marc VDS Racing Team following the tragic passing of Team Owner and founder Marc van der Straten. Looking back at the broader picture and his intra-family battle in the standings, the #14 admitted to some lingering frustrations regarding his consistency in the second half of the year.
"I made many mistakes this season," Sam Lowes said. “Of course, it’s also been quite difficult off-track. Over the second half of the season since losing Marc, I’ve struggled a bit with my consistency. Apart from Estoril, I’ve been fast enough at every track. At Estoril, I was slow, but at the rest I was close. I’ll need to work on that for next season. I should have been fighting with Montella for third, but I made too many mistakes, I’ll improve that for 2027.”
