WSBK Jerez J1: Loris Baz speaks about his Yamaha future

Loris Baz started his Jerez meeting well, showing himself at the top of the timesheet. In the morning, and despite a technical problem, he placed his Ten Kate team R1 at the top of a hierarchy which he continues to dominate at the end of this first day in Andalusia, in the cumulative ranking. The Frenchman will be one to watch and he is all the more determined as the question of Van der Mark's succession within the official structure is still unresolved. We therefore have to convince, and that also requires behind-the-scenes political support. On all these aspects and this issue, Loris Baz spoke…

Michael Van der Mark therefore decided to try the adventure BMW in 2021 in WSBK, unless he refused direct confrontation with the Turkish phenomenon Toprak Razgatlioglu… The fact remains that an official handlebar has been released, which is stirring up the clan Yamaha , well stocked with talents of all kinds.

Among them, there is a Frenchman. It is Loris Baz, and, if it were chosen, we would have two tricolors in the two major motorcycle speed categories: fabio quartararo in MotoGP and Loris Baz in WSBK, both being managed by Eric Mahe… But competition is tough for Loris, with Andrea Locatelli (23 years old) in the WSS factory team or SBK rookies like Federico Caricasulo ou Garrett gerloff both aged 24.

On paper however, Loris Baz is the strongest choice. The Frenchman only has 27 , but already has a lot of experience. He drove for three years for the factory team Kawasaki, then three years in MotoGP, in 2018 for Gulf Althea BMW and finally for Ten Kate This year. Seventh in the championship, he left a big impression on Yamaha with his performances, the race director Eric de Seynes is a declared fan of his compatriot.

For the Frenchman, the question is whether he would like to stay with Ten Kate, where everything is tailored to his wishes, or if he would prefer to ride for the factory team, where he could get the best material and probably more money.

A privileged relationship with Yamaha

« When I came back to the World Superbike Championship I always said I wanted the best possible package that I could win with ", said Baz in an interview with Speedweek. com. " So it's not a question of whether I want to leave Ten Kate. I am very happy at Yamaha and I have a very good relationship with Eric de Seynes. This is not the case with all brands that I can just pick up the phone and call the race director and also talk about private matters. It's only available from Yamaha, it's cool ».

« I also know that I am at the top of their list. That's always good because it means I'm doing a good job. Ten Kate is doing a good job, I'm sure we can win. In a factory team, there are always details that can make the difference at the highest level.u. »

« Eric is going to ask me what I want », believes Baz. " So far I have barely spoken to my manager about next year, I feel very comfortable with Ten Kate, they are like family to me. And they have a good connection with Yamaha. If I left them, it wouldn't be like going from a small private team to a big factory team. We are part of the Yamaha project »

But there are two major differences between Ten Kate and the factory team: Ten Kate has limited access to Yamaha's electronics, and Yamaha has the most financial resources. “ I know electronics make the difference in this worlde,” said the Frenchman. “ But I'm not going to ask Eric if we'll have the full package for next year because I've been asking for a year. All the progress we have made is in electronics. We are not far from the factory team. As a driver in a private team you always have in mind that you don't have the latest and greatest. At the same time, in my career I have also found that it is very important that you feel comfortable in your team. The main thing is that you need to weigh everything and make a decision. I will when the time comes »

What role does money play in your decision? “ Until now, I never chose a team because of money ", highlighted Baz. " If I had stayed at Kawasaki for 2015, I would have ten times more money today. But I'm 27 and I'm starting to think about money. To do this, you must make the right decisions in your career. Many drivers drive for free or even pay, I learned a lot in Grand Prix " finished Loris Baz.