Loris Baz: ‘We weren’t fast enough, everyone in the box knows why’

Baz was part of the only manufacturer on the WorldSBK grid that had a race winner on every one of its machines in 2022, yet BMW narrowly avoided the embarrassment of finishing last in the Manufacturers’ standings.

Had Iker Lecuona not suffered a fractured vertebra during FP2 in Mandalika following a violent highside - the crash resulted in the former MotoGP rider missing the final six races -  then Honda would likely have secured a comfortable P4 finish ahead of BMW.

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Scott Redding was the German manufacturer’s only source of podium finishes, which he achieved on three occasions, however, the likes of Baz, Michael Van Der Mark (after he recovered from an off-season injury) and Eugene Laverty all struggled aboard the M 1000 RR.

As has often been the case in his Superbike career, Baz flashed potential at different stages of the season but was unable to turn it into a meaningful result unlike previous campaigns.

2022 was only the second season in which Baz failed to secure a top five finish. 

Speaking to Speedweek.com, Baz explained the reasons for such an up-and-down campaign for BMW: "Redding, Van Der Mark and I had to ride over the motorcycle. That's why we made mistakes and fell. 

"It went better on some circuits, but in the end everyone is constantly improving their package. At the beginning of the season we were able to fight with the Honda riders and also with Bassani – but they did a better job afterwards. 

"We weren't fast enough and didn't find any solutions to our problems. But let's face it, everyone in the box knows why. 

"We don't close our eyes and hide problems. We know we have a lot of little issues that make the bike difficult to ride."