Loris Baz returned to Superbike for the Jerez and Portimao rounds in the Go Eleven team as a replacement for the injured Chaz Davies and impressed with his performance. After conquering a top 6 in Jerez, the Frenchman managed to get on the podium on two occasions in Portugal (only to have to give up the third position of Race 2 for the penalty imposed after the accident with Alvaro Bautista).
After the Andalusian round, Baz said he had a 90% agreement that allowed him to stay in MotoAmerica next season as well. A week later, in Portimao, he declared that the situation had not changed. However, earlier this week, the French rider published a post on his Instagram profile in which he reveals that he will not return to America in 2022 and everything suggests that he will return to the World Superbike paddock.
Loris Baz, Althea Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Market rumors indicate that Baz could be linked to the BMW satellite team, Bonovo, where the Frenchman would arrive paired with Eugene Laverty, in a two-driver line-up. The team has only fielded one M1000RR for Jonas Folger this year, but has decided that the collaboration will not continue into 2022, also deciding to skip the last two rounds of this season.
Baz would not be new to ride a BMW, having already raced the previous generation S1000RR with the Althea team in 2018. At the time he had achieved a sixth place as best result, finishing the season in 11th position in the overall standings. He then joined the Ten Kate Yamaha team for the latter part of 2019 and throughout the 2020 season, achieving four podiums but losing his place in Yamaha in 2021. This forced Baz to go to MotoAmerica, with the Warhouse HSBK Ducati team. The collaboration brought him to fourth position in a season dominated by Yamaha rider Jake Gagne.