The news of a Loris Baz on a BMW for the next season of WSBK is not yet official, but the rumor is so strong that it is an open secret. There is even so much talk about it in the Superbike paddock that we are discovering the details of the commitment within a Bonovo MGM team which will be alongside the official Shaun Muir Racing structure. And it’s more than interesting for the Frenchman.
Loris Baz remembered the good memories of the World Superbike in two convincing stints carried out to replace the injured Chaz Davies on Ducati Go Eleven. In the top 10 in Jerez, he went all the way to the podium in Portimao. But Ducati did not retain him more than that, apparently preferring smaller riders since Redding will be replaced by Baptist and Chaz Davies will retire. At the house of BMW, on the other hand, the big ones are not scary: Scott Redding was enlisted to evolve alongside van der mark while Loris Baz should be confirmed within a manufacturer to whom he left good memories in 2018.
Loris Baz will have an M1000RR as official as Redding's
Loris Baz will undoubtedly be a driver from the Bonovo MGM team. And not a resident of the official structure. A prospect that did not please one Tom Sykes to whom the place had been offered after confirmation of the installation of Redding. A bad sign? On paper, it would seem not. We thus learn by speedweek which BMW renews its concept in the Superbike World Championship. Instead of one factory and one satellite team, this year SMR and Bonovo there will be two equal teams. All the bikes are already prepared by SMR in England, the riders are directly under contract with BMW.
Michael van der Mark et Scott Redding have long been confirmed as pilots at SMR. Bonovo MGM will also deploy two M1000RRs in 2022. The German manufacturer has reached an agreement with the Northern Irish Eugene Laverty 35 years old and French Loris Baz 28 years old. We are now awaiting official press releases.
