Baz confirms the second place in the Open Championship

Loris Baz ends his rookie season in second place in the Open. The Frenchman has collected four class wins in Mugello, Assen, Misano and Brno on his Yamaha Forward bike and thanks to the 28 points gathered he ended 5 points away from Barbera in the standings.

Baz, who started from 15th on the grid, struggled from the early laps because of the low grip and lack of confidence with the rear of his Yamaha Forward and was forced to give way some positions to his opponnents. The Frenchman crossed the line 19th, the third place among the Open.

Toni Elias placed 20th, just behind his team-mate. 24th at the start, the Spaniard, with Forward Racing since the Grand Prix of Aragon, closed the season in Valencia and got the 27th place in the standings overall thanks to the two points achieved at Sepang.

Loris Baz
Race: 19th / +1’04.339 / 30 laps, Championship: 17th / 28 points

“It was a difficult race. Unfortunately since the first laps I struggled to find the right confidence with the rear and was not able to keep the pace of the other Open bikes. I had little grip, but I was able to reach the finish line. Too bad for not being able to win the Open title, we were close to the top of the category for much of the season, but at the end I lost something. Overall I can say I’m happy with this first rookie season: I struggled at the start, but I continued to work hard and thanks to all the team I achieved my goals ahead of schedule”.

Toni Elias
Race: 20th / +1’04.413 / 30 laps, Championship: 27th / 2 points

“A difficult season is over for me: I did not have a bike but with the team I had the chance to return to MotoGP. I’m happy and I want to thank Giovanni and Forward Racing for this beautiful opportunity which opens new perspectives. Compared with the competition I can’t say I’m 100% satisfied. I struggled at the start, I had little confidence with the full tank, but after a few laps I found myself fighting with Di Meglio, Laverty and West. I kept my pace and at the end I finished very close to Loris.”