WSBK – Interview Loris Baz: “WorldSBK should use the MotoGP method” – Occasions BMW

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Loris Baz interview: "WorldSBK should use the MotoGP method"

WSBK - Interview Loris Baz:

Site takes advantage of the – very – long summer break from the World Superbike to talk to Loris Baz. The only French driver and BMW, he struggles on his S1000RR, while his competitors progress. How to improve the situation and level the championship? Here are his answers.

Six months have passed since our last. Six months and two-thirds of a 2018 season which marks the return of our No. 76 in World Superbike. The – only – BMW driver is in 12th place in the WSBK general classification. We hoped to see it higher. Him too…

Site: How are you ?
Loris Baz: Good ! Sorry for yesterday, you couldn’t reach me because I was at sea, on jetski with Franck (Millet) and Jeremy (Guarnoni).

MNC: No problem. We were just wondering what you were doing beautifully lately. Apart from sharing videos of deer in the heatwave of course…
L. B .: The break is a bit long this year, it’s a bit weird to have a two-month break in World Superbike, compared to two weeks in MotoGP! The first month, I spent it quiet at home, training. I did a lot of things with my father … There, I spent a few days in Spain. After that I will resume training to be in shape for the end of the season.

MNC: At the end of May, you cycled around Lake Geneva in one go. You are preparing for the Tour de France 2019 ?
L. B .: Not at all. But I’ve done a lot of cycling over the past two years: I started cycling after my foot operations. The outing was really nice, with a former pro rider going fast !

WSBK - Interview Loris Baz:

MNC: We know him ?
L. B .: Not sure, his name is Nicolas Roux. He has just won the Tour du Mont Blanc by beating the record for the event. He’s in his early forties, but he’s really heavy.

MNC: Two weeks ago, you were at the Eurosport microphone for the Suzuka 8 Hours. Commenting is an exercise that you like?
L. B .: Yes, I like doing TV, being on a set, or on the floor for interviews. It was the first time I worked from Paris and I liked it, plus I was with Jerèm, it was cool. Afterwards, 8 hours is a long time … And waking up at 4 in the morning, it’s not in our habits (laughs)…

MNC: … it’s more like the time you go to bed ?
L. B .: No Still not. In any case, it was nice. I don’t see myself doing this every weekend, I prefer to be on the bike. Besides the Suzuka 8H, it would really kick me: it’s a legendary race, which makes you dream. But you have to be able to do it in good conditions to hope to win.

WSBK - Interview Loris Baz:

MNC: What do you remember from this 2018 edition in Suzuka? ?
L. B .: The big fight in front, with Kawa who had prepared a motorbike that was going strong. The level was really high, it was a great race !

MNC: Let’s get to the heart of the matter, WorldSBK. What is your record, two-thirds of the 2018 season ?
L. B .: It’s a very frustrating year, although I knew it might be a bit complicated signing the BMW. We thought it would go better than that. We hoped to make Top 5 regularly and podiums from time to time. But everyone has improved a lot, we haven’t at all: nothing has changed on the bike. It’s frustrating to fight for 10th places when you know that with a good bike, you would play in front. I remember what I did in this championship, I can see how I ride, so I know how to position myself in relation to the other drivers. It’s one of the toughest seasons of my career. But it’s also during years like this that we learn.

MNC: You often find affectionate nicknames for your motorcycles. But your BMW looks like a hell of a moth anyway, no ?
L. B .: Yes, but the basis is good, even excellent. Unfortunately, the development is insufficient to be able to win in Superbike, against certain motorcycles whose electronics are almost more accomplished than in MotoGP. We are riding with the original S1000RR case. So what we do is good! But not good enough: we often lack a second, a second and a half … which is not huge when we take into account the differences in the means invested.

WSBK - Interview Loris Baz:

MNC: You still made significant progress in qualifying, with a front row at Donington Park, which has not happened for five years for a BMW driver. On the last tests, you went directly to SP2. It’s encouraging !
L. B .: Yes, except that it does not come from progress made on the bike. Rather, it comes from our methodology. At the start of the season, we really hoped to enter the Top 5 in the race. Suddenly, when I returned to the pits during the three free sessions on Friday, far from the leading times, we tended to go all over the place to try to find solutions. We realized that we did not have these solutions to play in front. We accepted that our place was more around 10 than 5, and we changed the settings of the bike less, which allowed me to ride more.

MNC: The circuits are also taken into account…
L. B .: Yes, on tracks that offer a lot of grip, we have fewer electronic problems. The traction control is used less, the engine brake is more present, it is easier. That’s how in Misano or Donington, I managed to do pretty good stuff by sticking out my fingers, attacking, but on one lap. Because over an entire race, it’s more complicated.

MNC: In the race, you landed seven top 10s, but not yet a Top 6. Last year, Torres had five, on the same machine. The "same", really ?! The problem is that the others are progressing, perhaps more: the Yamaha are at the level of the Kawa and Ducati, the Aprilia are back….
L. B .: Yes, the Yams have won races, Aprilia has been on the podiums. The private Kawa and Ducat ‘are doing well … Many motorcycles have taken a big step forward this season. On our side, we were treated to small changes, but not in crucial sectors. The electronics have remained pretty much the same. It would have taken more to follow the others.

A post shared by (@lorisbaz) on Jun 9, 2018 at 12:35 pm PDT

MNC: You posted a nice photo on Instagram (above), where you can be seen sliding under the acceleration. You say it’s pretty, but not effective. This is your main concern today ?
L. B .: The concern is really electronics in its entirety, under braking and acceleration. It is less developed and successful than those of the competitors. The reactions are slower, we lose a little bit, in each turn, more entering than leaving elsewhere.

MNC: BMW is the only manufacturer to run with a Bosch ECU. All other brands use Magneti Marelli ?
L. B .: Yes because I think Ten Kate (Honda) went there this year.

MNC: At Honda, Camier started the season well. But he was injured when his team passed Magneti Marelli and since his return, he has been fighting like you in the Top 10…
L. B .: Yes, but Leon hurt himself a lot, it complicates things too. Magneti Marelli electronics, you should know that there are several stages, and that its effectiveness depends on the people who manage it within the teams. It is not enough to put the box in the motorcycle for it to work !

WSBK - Interview Loris Baz:

MNC: McCoy in GP500 smoked his rear tire and managed to win races. In British Superbike, they race with very limited electronics. You tried to unplug everything on the "Behem" to see ?
L. B .: The McCoy method worked because at the time no one had electronic assistance. In BS, everyone fights without traction control. In WorldSBK, "traction" has become essential, especially to manage engine braking. Unfortunately, a driver cannot do better with his clutch. I tried several times at the start of the season to unplug everything and drive, it was the same, or worse in some places. We received a new case in the middle of the year, with a little progress. We can’t cut it, we have to deal with it.

MNC: The current WSBK regulations which regulate maximum revs and limit the preparation of motorcycles, it does not seem to help you masses…
L. B .: In my opinion, other than lowering the performance level of the Kawasaki, it didn’t add much. We were added 250 rpm during the season, but we don’t need it! This is not what will make us go faster. But the FIM and Dorna had to react, there was too much difference with the motorcycles … But to balance the forces involved, we must give the means to the small teams and adopt the single unit, as they have. made in Grand Prix elsewhere.

MNC: We’re getting there … The unique ECU is coming, but in World Supersport! You understand this choice ?
L. B .: The WorldSBK is a championship in which the manufacturers are more or less invested (in WSSP, only Yamaha proposed a new model last year, Editor’s note!) … Everyone has their own vision! Kawasaki, for example, wants to win in Superbike and is putting all its means into it. For the Greens, adopting the single box would mean going backwards because they are ahead in this area. BMW, for its part, seeks to develop its production motorcycles and therefore only wants to ride with its box, not another. Ducati and Yamaha are engaged in MotoGP and their test riders are working in parallel on the two motorcycles … In the end, no one therefore wants the single box in World Superbike. However, if you want a homogeneous championship with a bunch of brands and models competing in front, you have to use the Grand Prix method: a single unit and financial support for the little ones. But the Superbike does not necessarily have the means.

WSBK - Interview Loris Baz:

MNC: We felt at the start of the year that you considered 2018 to be a transition season. But things may not change much in 2019…
L. B .: 2018 was a year of transition in every way for me. I tried to stay in GP until very late, so I took what was left in WSBK a bit. In 2019, I was hoping to find something top to fight in front, we still hope with BMW and the team, but it is not done. Especially with the lack of change in the regulations.

MNC: It will play on your future ?
L. B .: It’s certain. It would have leveled the levels of many teams and increased the chances of many drivers to ride in front. It will therefore influence my choices because I will not be leaving for a new 2018 season, it has no interest.

MNC: What is certain for 2019 and the following year is that Jonathan Rea will still ride Kawasaki? What do you think ?
L. B .: Well listen, I think it’s a shame that he doesn’t have his chance in Grand Prix. Afterwards, I’m not sure he really wants to either, given his situation in WorldSBK: he is three-time world champion, soon to be quadruple, he makes a good living, there are 13 events a year in WSBK. against 20 in MotoGP, which is quieter when you have a family. GP is another world that requires more investment and personal sacrifice. There is also the question of the motorcycle: he could not hope for a factory motorcycle. I’m not even sure he got an offer to ride a good bike. He deserved it, however, given his domination in Superbike, and the good results of Cal Crutchlow or Ben Spies before.

WSBK - Interview Loris Baz:

MNC: Places are expensive in MotoGP !
L. B .: Yes I know it well. The problem also comes from Moto2 which scrambles the waters. Today, we have no idea which rider will go fast in MotoGP. Before, we knew that the three or four best riders of GP250 or the first years of Moto2 could potentially interest the teams. Today, even guys who are 15th can go up: Folger did not perform miracles in the intermediate category but he did exceptional things in MotoGP. No one expected Syahryn so soon, so soon. Conversely, there are Moto2 world champions who go up and who don’t. It’s quite strange. It gets even more complicated for World Superbike riders.

MNC: Kawasaki should relaunch MotoGP with him !
L. B .: No, because the World Superbike is also a great championship. Johnny is a great driver who has just won three titles in a row and is heading towards his fourth. You don’t have to go to MotoGP to be a successful motorcycle racer! Look at Fogarty who is a legendary pilot, whom everyone knows. Everyone remembers Spies’ phenomenal title after his only World Superbike season. There are others, like Bayliss who also rode in Grand Prix, but will remain as a great Superbike champion..

MNC: Like Corser, Haga, Toseland or Guintoli…
L. B .: Exactly. Rea will have had an exemplary career without going through the Grand Prix.

MNC: Sykes on the other hand is on the start. You were in contact to take his place at Kawa, for whom you rode between 2012 and 2014 ?
L. B .: Honestly, I am not busy with contacts and negotiations. Éric (Mahe) takes care of everything, he keeps me informed of what is potentially possible or not. It is only after the cards are all shuffled that he gives me the choice. I make the final decision, but I don’t manage everything that happens upstream, knowing where there is room, where there is no more…

WSBK - Interview Loris Baz:

MNC: Haslam will ultimately be Rea’s teammate. Seen from afar and without denigrating Leon who shines in BSB for three seasons, it looks a bit like crony, no ?
L. B .: I think there are a lot of factors that come into play. I think Kawasaki is preparing for the future with Toprak (Razgatlioglu who is discovering the Superbike category within the Puccetti team, Editor’s note). He gives her time to prepare quietly, without playing in Rea’s paws. Haslam will drive fast, he will be ahead, but I’m not sure he is competing with Johnny. I also think Kawasaki was looking to ensure a good atmosphere in the team, which they have been missing for many years, I know what I’m talking about! Afterwards, bringing Leon back may seem strange, knowing that there are young people just waiting to roll. But the choice is not only sporting: he is English, very popular in Great Britain, everyone loves him. It also plays a role in marketing and sales.

MNC: And your future then … The boss of your current team Althea has announced that BMW will release a new S1000RR this winter. You know a little more ?
L. B .: No, I just know there will be a new "Behem". A real new model, not an evolution of it. But we don’t have any more information on it, nor on BMW’s projects. It would be fantastic if he officially returned to World Superbike, with the will to win, like a few years ago. But it seems they want to continue their sports program, no more and no less. It’s not easy for me, this period is always delicate, it’s the same almost every year, for everyone. This is the race !

MNC: MNC don’t forget that you grew up at Yamaha, with JCO. There are opportunities on that side ?
L. B .: I drove all over the place (smile). But it is sure that Yamaha is special for me because they were there when I started, especially Jean-Claude (Ollivier, big boss of Yamaha in France). But there is no place in the official team, not much in the other factory teams. We will have to find the best possible motorcycle to replay in front, regardless of the brand or the team..

WSBK - Interview Loris Baz:

MNC: You know what’s going on at Ducati with the new V4, or at the other Red Aprilia or Honda ?
L. B .: I’ve no idea. Honestly.

MNC: You follow MotoGP closely, of course. What do you think of this first half of the season ?
L. B .: It’s still a great season, like the last three. Marquez is above the rest, there is no doubt. Unlike last year, he started the season on a bike he felt good on. So for me, except injury or big glitch for Marc, the championship is folded. He would have been even better without those little mistakes, but that’s his style. This does not prevent the spectacle, the tight races. Lorenzo is back, Dovizioso too, Rossi is still there. The small disappointment comes from Vinales, for now.

MNC: Zarco was off to a good start, then his results suddenly went down, with his crash at Le Mans…
L. B .: The fall at the GP of France had to be played because there was a lot of pressure, much of which he applied himself. The fall certainly hurt his morale. There is the bike too, which is not exactly at the level of the others, although according to him, it was fine. I think it is not that easy. I also believe he had grown used to exceptional results. Moreover, it did not go from good to bad, but from exceptional to good, very good. The signing at KTM must also have dispersed it. In these moments, we sometimes have our heads elsewhere. But I’m not in his head. What we can see is that he continues to do great things. This weekend in Brno, he did another great Grand Prix.

WSBK - Interview Loris Baz:

MNC: You keep a close eye on Moto2 as well. Quartararo who wins, it’s nice !
L. B .: Yes frankly, I am very happy for him. He has been criticized a lot in recent years, by everyone. But he keeps his talent, and managed to get back into a good dynamic by winning his first race in the category, and by securing a second place with the manner too.

MNC: Fabio is on pole for a Yamaha satellite in MotoGP next year. You would have advice to give him ?
L. B .: Nah, nah (laughs). He knows what to expect if he goes for it. I don’t worry about him: he’s a hard worker. The only advice, perhaps, would be not to make the mistakes of the past. But he is aware of it. And then he never made a big mistake.

MNC: Okay, we’ll leave you alone. The program is cycling, athletics, swimming … on TV or for real ?
L. B .: Neither. I have things to buy for the house, need to clean the pool … I’ll go train if I have time, but it’s not easy today. I follow the European Championships from afar. But I’m going to watch Renaud (Lavillenie, on pole, Editor’s note) that I know.

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