Loris Baz doesn’t see any great cause for concern despite finishing this week’s Jerez WorldSBK test 1.8 seconds off the pace in tenth spot. The Althea BMW rider is returning to the series after three years in MotoGP and completed 161 laps across both days as he looks to readjust to production machinery.
With two more days in Portimao this weekend before traveling to Australia for the season-opener, Baz remains hopeful of closing the gap to the frontrunners with qualifying-pace a key area to address.
“The test has gone quite well, it’s been full on but we’ve learned a great deal. I’m gradually getting to know the bike, the settings etc. and I’m quite pleased with the work we’ve got done here. I’m still struggling to lap fast with the fresh tyres and the soft solutions but I’m not particularly worried, it’s early days. We hope to improve further at both Portimao and then in Australia of course.”
Team Manager Genesio Bevilacqua was keen to take the positives from the test and expects Baz to improve as he gains experience with the BMW S1000-RR
“This two-day session at Jerez has proved very positive in terms of Loris’ approach to the bike and all those mechanisms that are new to him with respect to MotoGP, like the tyres for instance. Considering he worked with race tyres while others were out on qualifiers, lap times have been encouraging. We’re pleased with the work completed, also in preparation for the upcoming Portimao test.”
