Fast from the opening session, Loris Baz concluded the first day in third place in the combined ranking with the status of best independent driver.In more difficulty on Saturday morning during FP3, the Frenchman took the 12th time in the Superpole despite a fall. From the fourth row on the grid, the Yamaha representative made an excellent start, but he was unable to break away from his group to move up the hierarchy. He finally reached the finish line in ninth position after committing a small mistake in the last lap. On Sunday, Loris Baz intends to take his revenge for the last two races of the year.
Loris Baz (9th): “It’s a very strange weekend at the moment. I was very fast on Friday and I had a very good feeling. Today, it was much more difficult from FP3. I was nevertheless able to regain my sensations in Superpole. Unfortunately, there was a red flag and my time was canceled. I started again, I was improving, but I made a small mistake and I crashed. However, I was able to save the furniture by finishing 12th. I had a good start to the race, but since the start of the year, I have had a lot of problems overtaking with this bike. I don't know if it comes from our settings or the driving style. I was in a group with Haslam and Bautista. I was going faster, but I couldn't pass them. On the last lap I made a mistake and went from eighth to ninth place. It's frustrating, but we'll try again tomorrow and keep fighting. »
It was determined to be a battle when Loris Baz lined up on the fourth row of the grid for the Superpole Race on Sunday morning in Estoril. But, like the first round, the Frenchman was not able to fully exploit his driving style to gain an advantage over his opponents. He made a mistake, so it was from 14th place that he set off at the start of Race 2. Much more at ease, he gradually moved up the hierarchy to follow in the wake of Álvaro Bautista. But victim of a mechanical problem, the Yamaha YZF-R1 stopped and the Haut-Savoyard had to resolve to abandon. Although disappointed, Loris Baz concludes this somewhat shortened 2020 in eighth position in the general classification , second independent driver, with four podiums, including two second places.Loris Baz (Superpole Race — Crash / Race 2 — DNF) : “This is not how I wanted to end the season, that’s for sure. During the Superpole Race, I experienced the same problem as Saturday. I couldn't overtake so I pushed to find openings and I crashed. I had a very good start at the start of the second race. I found myself with very fast drivers and therefore felt less restricted in my style. So I managed to ride fast as I am used to doing with this bike. I recovered well and, while I was eighth behind Haslam, I broke down. The bike cut out due to a technical problem, perhaps linked to my crash in the sprint race. The team is analyzing. It's a shame, because I think I had the pace to grab a fifth place. It's a weekend like our season with moments of joy and moments of disappointment. That’s how it is, but I really wish I’d ended on a better note. I keep the positives from this year like our four podiums, all the times we were fast or all the sessions we conducted. Even though these are free sessions that do not earn points, it is important, especially for a private team. We have accomplished great things. A huge thank you to the team for this superb season. »
