French motorcycle racer Loris Baz went through a very difficult path from one of the leaders of the STK-1000 World Cup to the driver of the factory Kawasaki Racing Team, and then an active downgrade to the private World Superbike teams. He has now moved to the United States to compete in the MotoAmerica Championship. But why did he make this choice?
“I never thought about racing in the States. However, now the situation is in which this is probably my only chance … to return to the World Superbike “- said Baz during the tests in Road Atlanta. So, the situation is this: Loris Baz has signed a contract with the Ducati HSBK New York team for the 2021 season, and he will compete in MotoAmerica in the Superbike class in a brand new Ducati V4 R. This is a key moment. The fact is that the American office of the Italian company is behind the Ducati HSBK New York. “We had one interesting meeting … – continues Baz. – After her, I had a hope of returning to the World Championship. But I’m not sure. I’m not sure if this will come true. However, my goal is to win MotoAmerica this year with Ducati to take advantage of this minor opportunity to get into Aruba.it Racing in 2022. Let’s see if we can pull this off! ”
Loris Baz hopes to follow the path of Scott Redding, who was kicked out of MotoGP but became British Superbike champion next year. After showcasing his style and capabilities aboard the Ducati V4 R, he was recruited to the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati works team where he replaced another former MotoGP driver, Alvaro Bautista. Redding tried to impose a 2020 title fight on Jonathan Ray, but two falls took him off the shortlist for the title. At the same time, Redding really showed that he has the power and speed to fight the Kawasaki. Now, Redding’s partner in Aruba.it is the young Italian Mikel Ruben Rinaldi. Borgo-Panigale wants to try him as the team’s flagship, at the same time, this is a hint to Redding that his 2-year contract will expire in 2021. There could indeed be a vacancy on the Ducati factory team in 2022, and Baz is hoping to hop on that boat. But for this he must win the American Championship. It’s that simple!