Performing well and always well placed among the official machines, Loris Baz was poorly rewarded for his escapade in Jerez aboard his Yamaha R1 prepared by Ten Kate. A machine which has not experienced any technical problems unlike the two factory motorcycles. But during the last race, the Frenchman made a mistake, thus depriving himself of big points which would have better highlighted his journey. There remains a good, encouraging impression for the rest of the season…
Since the start of this WSBK season, Loris Baz plays at the forefront with his Yamaha Ten Kate. But the Frenchman is also unlucky, so much so that his position in the championship does not reflect a real situation on the track, tending to demonstrate that the R1 developed by the Dutch has nothing to envy of those bearing the official seal of the brand from Iwata.
The last meeting at Jerez What's more, it is shown that this R1 did not have any technical problems, unlike its official sisters. But now, during the last of the three races scheduled in Andalusia, Loris Baz made a mistake...
Nevertheless, the tricolor can be satisfied with its racing weekend at Jerez. Starting 6th in the Superpole, the driver Yamaha finished 5th in the first race, just one second behind Toprak Razgatlioglu, third, from the Pata Yamaha factory team. In the Superpole Race on Sunday, the Frenchman finished fourth, once again just 2 seconds behind the final step of the podium. Michael van der Mark.
The overall positive impression was clouded by a crash in the second run. While in sixth position, the 27-year-old driver slipped in the gravel at turn 13. Baz continued the race but did not get past 17th place at the checkered flag.
In contact with the Yamaha factory
« The Superpole race was pretty good, we were still close to the podium ", said the pilot Yamaha Ten Kate. " As in the first round, I only lost a tenth of a second per lap and I didn't make it into the top three. The conditions for the second race were really difficult. I was sliding a lot and then I made a small mistake which took me out of the points. I'm disappointed for the team. But we were at the level of the factory drivers. We must take the positive results with us »
The team manager Kervin Bos was also disappointed: “ honestly, the disappointment after the second round is great », moaned the Dutchman. “ Loris made a small mistake in the last corner and he fell. This deprived us of a good ranking ».
Ten Kate returned to the World Superbike Championship with Baz and Yamaha in 2019 in Jerez and is looking forward to the first podium. One year ago, Baz reached fourth place in Misano (Superpole Race) and Magny-Cours (Run 1). In the season opener in Australia, Baz was 7th on the grid and 7th, 7th and 8th in the races. With the exception of the last race, he was more successful in Jerez...
