Breaking news

Other bike

Former MotoGP rider Baz makes MotoAmerica switch

Former MotoGP rider Loris Baz will switch to the MotoAmerica series with HSBK Racing Ducati in 2021, it has been announced.

Rachit Thukral

Edited: Feb 4, 2021, 12:26 AM

Copy link

Share on Viber

Add as a preferred source

Loris Baz, Ten Kate Racing Yamaha

After three years in MotoGP between 2015-17, Baz returned to World Superbikes in 2018, a series where he had previously enjoyed a race-winning stint with Kawasaki.

The French rider finished a strong eighth in the standings with four podium finishes last year, but cast doubt about the future of his team Ten Kate Yamaha on the WSBK grid.

With still no confirmation on whether the satellite Yamaha team will remain in the series, beyond it competing in the supporting World Supersport category, Baz will move across the Atlantic to join the burgeoning MotoAmerica series.

The 28-year-old will ride a Ducati Panigale V4 R, marking a return to the MotoGP fold for the first time he rode for the manufacturer’s satellite team Avintia during the last two years of his MotoGP career in 2016-17.

“Our only goal is to win, to be honest,” Baz told the official MotoAmerica website. “I don’t give myself two chances. I just want to win. I don’t go for something else.

“I know the level is high and I’m not taking it easy when I say I want to win. I know what I have to do, and I know how fast I have to ride if I want to win there.

“It’s a lot of change for me personally and a big risk moving to America and I think I still have my place in World Superbike.

“I want to use this opportunity to win and use it for the future. I’m happy for the opportunity that the team and Ducati and the championship gives me and I will do everything I can to win the championship this year."

The HSBK team enjoyed a strong second half of the 2020 season after it signed Lorenzo Zanetti from the Ridge Motorsports Park round, the Italian rider helping deliver Ducati’s first triumph in the top Superbike class since 2010 with in the second Indianapolis race.

“We are thrilled to announce that we are back with Ducati and this time as an official entry in the Superbike class,” team principal Bobby Shek said. “We did our homework at the end of last year and feel like with the support from Ducati Corse and a rider like Baz we have a good chance to fight for the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.”

We want your opinion!

What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?

Take our 5 minute survey.

- The Motorsport.com Team

Read and post comments

Share Or Save This Story

Copy link

Share on Viber

Previous article "No memory" of Daytona wreck leaves Ryan Newman with no fear

Next article IndyCar-bound Grosjean open to F1 sub role

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

View More & Comment

Latest news

How F1’s rules got to be so complex

Formula 1

How F1’s rules got to be so complex

Kimi Antonelli: “My 2027 preparation starts now” after F1 title triumph

Formula 1

F1 Formula 1

Sao Paulo GP

34 min

Kimi Antonelli: “My 2027 preparation starts now” after F1 title triumph

Alan Permane signs new Racing Bulls F1 deal

Formula 1

F1 Formula 1

Sao Paulo GP

54 min

Alan Permane signs new Racing Bulls F1 deal

Carson Hocevar posts 18-minute apology video: "I'm the bad guy"

NASCAR Cup

NAS NASCAR Cup

Homestead-Miami

11 h

Carson Hocevar posts 18-minute apology video: "I'm the bad guy"

Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.

From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.

You have 2 options:

Become a subscriber.
Disable your adblocker.

Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here

Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page

Manage Alerts