The Reale Avintia Racing team driver was in 16th place on the evening of the opening day in Malaysia.
Loris Baz had to deal with difficult conditions during the first day of testing for the Malaysian Grand Prix, the final meeting of the overseas tour at the Sepang circuit. However, only a few drops disrupted the opening session. Preferring to wait for a completely dry track to fit his machine with slick tires, the Frenchman then managed to record the 16th time in the standings.
The rain, however, increased in intensity at the start of the afternoon, preventing the French driver from moving up further in the hierarchy. Loris Baz, who hoped to take advantage of these precarious conditions to make some adjustments to his Ducati in preparation for the race, ultimately had to deal with grip problems.
Disappointed by this entry, the Haut-Savoyard, who is a little more than a second behind the Top 10, intends to find solutions on Saturday to try, like last year, to win his ticket to reach Q2.
Loris Baz (16th):
“During the second half of the first dry session, the bike tended to spin a lot. Despite a few small problems with the machine, the results were rather positive. In the wet, however, the situation was much more difficult. I had no grip, no matter the tire or our settings. »
“I am very far away and below the times I set last year. We don't really understand why, but we will evaluate other solutions on Saturday. Until Misano, the bike was perfect in these conditions. Since then, we have encountered difficulties and I have not been able to regain the feeling I had at the start of the year. »
“I almost fell many times during the session. Tomorrow, if we manage to regain a sufficient level of grip, I remain convinced that we will be able to do well. I like these conditions and I have not forgotten what to do to go fast in the wet. »
