After missing the Barcelona Grand Prix and the Dutch TT, Loris Baz returns to the MotoGP paddock this weekend for the German Grand Prix at Sachsenring.
The Frenchman has worked hard in recent weeks to prepare for his return in the best possible conditions. Loris is still suffering slightly from his right foot, but his primary objective is to regain confidence on the handlebars of his Ducati GP14.2 before the summer break.
For the first free practice session, the Haut-Savoyard slowly regained his bearings by completing a total of three laps before the arrival of the rain which disrupted his return to the track. This afternoon he was able to complete 18 fast laps. He recorded his best time less than three seconds from the reference time.
If the Frenchman is not setting himself any particular results this weekend, he nevertheless hopes to find his feet in order to gradually get closer to the peloton, or even to the points, at the end of a race that we expect to be eventful on Sunday.
Loris Baz: “This day was complicated due to the really difficult conditions. We hardly drove at all this morning. I needed to complete a few laps to regain confidence. This afternoon, I had a nice surprise: my foot doesn't hurt at all. I just lack strength and he tires more quickly. Obviously, over the duration of a race, I think it will be trickier, but it's much better than I expected.
Apart from a few issues that we need to resolve, we are not that far behind in the standings. After a few weeks away from the circuits, I am happy with this day back.
We don't really have any goals for the rest of the weekend. Everything will depend on the conditions, but we will try to gain a few places as the sessions progress while improving our pace. We want to be ready for the race on Sunday.
I only started training again two weeks ago and I think if it rained on Sunday it would help me. The race is long and the circuit is physically demanding. »
