After a difficult start to the weekend, Loris Baz was counting on the warm-up to add the finishing touches in preparation for the race at the Jerez Circuit…
Equipped with a hard tire at the front and a medium at the rear, the Frenchman made an excellent start from the seventh row, holding off Aleix Espargaró and Scott Redding. Facing higher temperatures than Saturday, Baz experienced more difficulties after reaching the halfway mark. Despite everything, the Ducati rider managed to reach the finish line while avoiding mistakes. Beaten to the wire by his teammate, Baz finally took the points for 13th place.
Before focusing on the next meeting on the calendar at the Bugatti Circuit in Le Mans, the Reale Avintia Racing team took part in the Official Test day on Monday.
Loris Baz (13th): “We didn't find solutions to our problems in warm-up. So, we expected a complicated race. The first ten laps were surprising since I was able to maintain a good pace. I was fighting against Aleix and Scott, after which the tires suddenly deteriorated on the right side. The end of the race was tricky and I almost fell several times. Despite everything, I gave my best to finish and score as many points as possible. In the last loop, I raised the tone against Héctor to come out in front of the bend preceding the straight, but, in the game of aspirations, he narrowly won.
It's a shame to end up like this, but a lot of us had some difficulties this weekend and I'm quite happy with our result. We will take advantage of the eight hours of driving at Monday's Test to find solutions to our problems. »
Yesterday, during the official IRTA test at the same Andalusian circuit, the French driver successfully focused on resolving the tire problems suffered during the race.
Loris Baz (19th): “We really did a very good job today, when the track temperature was at its highest, and using the same tires as during the race. We found a solution to the problems we encountered throughout the weekend. We also tested the front tire that Michelin brought, but I didn't like it very much because I don't have the same feeling as with this year's. Overall it was a very positive day of testing and I leave Jerez much more satisfied than at the end of the race yesterday. Now I have to work hard to prepare for the home race at Le Mans. »
