'It’s not easy when you want your best friend’s job' – Alex Lowes on making the move to Kawasaki

It wasn’t all plain sailing for Alex Lowes as he considered the opportunity of a lifetime: joining the Kawasaki Racing Team to become team-mate to five-time World Superbike Champion Jonathan Rea. In order to make the move, the Englishman would have to take the ride away from best friend Leon Haslam.

As is always the case, there’s far fewer top rides than competitive riders, meaning somebody is always going to be in a less-than-ideal situation or perhaps left off the grid completely. It’s happened before and it will happen again. But what’s it like when you desperately want something but, to get it, you know your best mate loses out?

“I kept thinking, ‘Don’t turn into the Yamaha garage, don’t turn into the Yamaha garage!’ Kawasaki’s Lowes laughs in this week’s Full Throttle Podcast, chatting with Eurosport commentator Greg Haines about potentially stopping at the wrong place in the pit lane following four years as a Yamaha man.

Discussing the move to Kawasaki and thus taking Haslam’s ride, Lowes continues:

“Leon and I were speaking a lot about what was happening. Clearly it wasn’t an ideal situation but I’m really happy how it’s worked out, with Leon getting the Honda ride; I think he’ll be fantastic for that project. It’s worked out well for both of us but it is always a little bit awkward when you are fighting for the same job!”