Marc VDS in the 2027 World Superbike Championship with two Ducatis? Sam Lowes knows

Sam Lowes has a strong connection with Marc van der Straaten’s racing team. Between 2020 and 2023 in Moto2 and subsequently in the Superbike World Championship, the 35-year-old has been riding for the Belgian brewer’s team.

Whilst Lowes is the sole rider in the Superbike World Championship, Marc VDS continues to field two riders in the Moto2 series: Aron Canet and Deniz Öncü. Rumours regularly circulate that the project in the production-based world championship is set to expand and that the Moto2 team is to be shut down.

As things stand, the plan is to carry on as before in 2027. “As far as I know, this decision is still pending. I think both options are on the table,” said Sam Lowes when asked by SPEEDWEEK.com editor-in-chief Ivo Schützbach. “Even the person who should know couldn’t answer that, because nothing has been decided yet.”

Would Lowes prefer to have a team-mate? “Basically, it wouldn’t make any difference to me. The team is brilliant either way, and we also have access to other riders’ data,” explained the Englishman. “If we were to compete with two bikes, that would certainly send a positive signal for the series itself. Moto2 has changed significantly in recent years and, in my opinion, the future lies more in the Superbike paddock. Having a second rider would change the dynamic within the team, but only Marc himself knows what he wants to do.”

As well as the Superbike World Championship and Moto2, the ‘beer baron’ is also involved with the KM99 Yamaha endurance team and, on four wheels, with the Boutsen GT team. “He loves racing and wants to achieve the best possible results in every series,” says Lowes. “Unfortunately, in Moto2 and Moto3, visibility has been dwindling in recent years. Given the results achieved there this year, you probably wouldn’t want to call it a day. But a second Superbike would be nice too.”