Having consolidated his top five pace at the Pirelli French Round, Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing – Yamaha) is eager to take his first podium in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship for nearly five years at the Motul Argentinean Round. The Frenchman has been closing the gap to the leading group ever since making his debut with the returning Dutch outfit at Jerez, with a best result of fourth coming on three occasions – the first dry-weather fourth coming in Race 1, last time out at Magny-Cours.

Baz was a top-ten finisher at the Circuito San Juan Villicum in 2018, the first time World Superbike visited Argentina and indeed, South America. The circuit’s inauguration by the Championship welcomed hard racing and fierce rivalries, much to the delight of the huge Argentine crowd. However, this year promises more delight, particularly for Loris Baz, who has been inside the top nine for the last five races.

Speaking ahead of his return to San Juan, Argentina, Baz stated his excitement: “I'm looking forward to heading back to Argentina and it will be cool to race at the Circuito San Juan Villicum once again. We are improving every time we take to the track and we are getting closer to the podium with every race, so let's see what Argentina brings. The track was new last year and quite dirty, which made for tricky conditions, so hopefully, it's cleaned up a bit with 12 months of use.”

The 26-year-old Frenchman currently sits in 12^th place in the standings, three points behind Jordi Torres (Team Pedercini Racing) and eight points behind Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK). Cortese is Baz’ next-highest Yamaha, and currently occupies 10^th overall. Baz will be eager to get ahead of Cortese and break into the top ten in the overall standings, having completely missed the first five rounds of the 2019 season.

Continuing to preview the forthcoming round, Baz said: “I'm not really sure how our bike will work there, but the grip can be a bit unpredictable and I think the YZF-R1 suits these conditions. The goal is simple; to continue improving, to close on the guys at the very front of the race and, if possible, step onto the podium for the first time.”

Will Baz be able to achieve Argentine glory this weekend? Find out in comprehensive fashion with the WorldSBK VideoPass!