After building a reputation as one of Superbike’s zestiest and most exciting riders Loris Baz is paddling with a strong tide in MotoGP as a rookie and in the midst of an Open class that provides both a learning seat and a technical ‘holding stage’ for how the category will change in the coming two years. The twenty two year old’s large frame dwarfs the narrow entrance of his Athina Forward Racing Team’s hospitality as he comes through to take a seat for an interview. Swapping rapidly between Italian, French and accomplished English Loris is an engaging interviewee; clearly well versed and experienced in media work as you’d expect at this level.

After the controversial end to the 2014 SBK campaign he probably knows that a Qatar orientated question in on the horizon (well, we couldn’t ignore it, especially with some people writing about the dearth of a good spat in the current Superbike series in comparison) but the truth is that Loris has thrown himself into MotoGP and has been creeping up to the position of best Open class runner – a feat he achieved recently at Mugello in Italy and round six.

The guys at Forward could not have been more helpful in arranging this chance to get an insight into a newcomer’s experience in MotoGP and Loris is up for a good chat…

OK, so summarise how you feel so far…

It is getting better and better. At the beginning of the year we had to work a lot on the position of the bike, we had to fit it to my size. It took a long time, until Sepang ‘2’ and even at Qatar where I received a new seat. We were still changing things but it got to a point where we could concentrate on the general settings of the bike and it is improving every round for sure.

Is it one of those things whereby even a couple of centimetres here or there for your position can change the bike a lot?

Yeah. In the beginning the bike was short – it seems that everybody is quite short here! – and we had to adapt it. You have to get comfortable on the bike before you can do anything, so I think the seat is six centimetres higher and ten further back compared to Stefan’s, so it moved all the settings a lot. If the bike is carrying twenty more kilos and is shifted further back then of course it has repercussions. We just needed time because there are not many tall guys here and the suspension technicians were unfamiliar being that extreme with the configuration. I think we are doing a good job.

What blew your mind coming from the Kawasaki?

The tyres and the rigidity of the chassis means that the feeling is totally different. Also the riding style. You have to carry much more corner speed whereas in Superbike it was more ‘stop-and-go’. The grip of the front tyre is crazy when you come from Superbike and it takes some getting used to.

Is that process of acclimatisation all about pushing a limit lap by lap?

Yeah, when you get on the bike and then you make a mistake you learn. But getting injured means losing a lot of preparation time and that was the main thing going around my head. I was trying to improve but not make too many mistakes. I think we did well and I think I was one of the slowest at the beginning from the riders that came into the series this season but we had a lot of things to go through. As soon as I felt good then we had a decent race, like in Argentina. You have to take your time. You have to get to know the team, the new style, the new bike and even my crew chief is here in MotoGP for the first time.

When you were growing up did you want to get to Grand Prix? French off-roaders often have a fancy for supercross compared to MXGP. British road racers can look favourably at Superbike as a route…

When I was a child I wanted to come to GP and I think this is a dream of most riders. I was sure that going through Superbike one way or the other I would get here. I wanted to be in MotoGP but I had some good years also in Superbike. It is a really good championship and also the paddock and the whole scene is very cool. It was a good five or six years there for me.

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