Loris Baz (GULF Althea BMW Racing Team) returns to Italy for the ninth round of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship coming off of a rough weekend at Laguna Seca. It’s another home race for the GULF Althea team and another chance for the French rider to take a step forward in his first season back in WorldSBK.

The Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli brings back good memories for both Baz and the Althea team. It was here that the team based just three hours away from the Rimini track managed their best results last season, with Jordi Torres (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) fourth in Race 1 and Raffaele De Rosa (MV Agusta Reparto Corse by Vamag) seventh in Race Two. As for Baz, he was second in both races at Misano Circuit in 2014 and took his best result in MotoGP™ here one year later, crossing the line in fourth.

Things didn’t quite go the Frenchman’s way at Laguna Seca, particularly on Saturday when he crashed in both the Tissot Superpole and Race One, although he did manage a sixth top ten finish of the season in Race Two.

However, there is room for improvement in the S1000RR, something that Baz will hope to exploit in Rimini: “Laguna wasn’t the best weekend for us, so I hope we can finish this first part of the season with good results at Misano. I’m optimistic because this round was one of the best for the Althea team last year, so I hope we can match that performance. I have good memories of the track and will continue to give 100% and fight for Genesio, the team and the fans at what is their home race.”

Watch all of the action from the Riviera di Rimini Round Live and OnDemand thanks to the WorldSBK VideoPass.