Qualified on the fifth row on the grid for the Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin, Loris Baz was in 13th place at the start of the second lap just behind the Ducati Desmosedici GP17 of Danilo Petrucci.
Victim of mechanical problems, the Frenchman nevertheless managed to keep up with the pace of his opponents. But while he was involved in the fight for precious points, he unfortunately made a mistake on the eighth lap.
Disappointed with the outcome of this third meeting of the season, the Ducati rider nevertheless said he was more than satisfied with the progress made throughout the weekend on a track as demanding as that of Texas. Loris is now preparing for the first European event of the 2017 campaign in Jerez, a circuit which has often smiled on him in the past.
Loris Baz :
« I am especially disappointed, because we suspected that there would be many falls. The objective was therefore to stay on your feet to score as many points as possible. We were really confident at the start of the race. I had a more than decent first lap, but I also made a few small mistakes which cost me a little time. However, I was able to stay in the good group. I then suffered from a problem: when braking, a gear was incorrectly engaged. The team still needs to analyze whether this is electronic or mechanical. Still, I had lost contact with the peloton. I lost concentration and fell a few curves further. On such a difficult circuit, we still managed to do well.
We will try to confirm at the next meeting in Jerez where we hope to find ourselves in the same arrangements as in Argentina. Although we rode in Jerez during the winter, it remains a special circuit depending on the weather conditions. It's hard to know what to expect, but we'll give it our all as usual to aim for a top ten finish. »
