Munich. Loris Baz (FRA) will remain part of the BMW Motorrad Motorsport family in 2023, and will start as a BMW Motorrad factory rider in the FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) again. Next year will be his second season with the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team. The collaboration has been extended accordingly. Baz’s new team-mate will be American Garrett Gerloff.
The 29-year-old Frenchman and the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team have worked well together from the outset this season, their first together, and have enjoyed success. They have already achieved their goal of finishing in the top ten on multiple occasions. Baz was also in contention for a podium at his home round at Magny-Cours (FRA).
“Loris is an important part of our family of BMW factory riders, and we are thrilled that he will start for the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team again in 2023,” said BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director Marc Bongers. “You could tell from the word go that the chemistry was good between him, the team and his fellow factory riders. With his experience, ability and personality, Loris adds an awful lot to the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team and our whole WorldSBK project. It is excellent news that this impressive collaboration will continue next season. We are confident that we will continue to move forward together.”
Jürgen Röder, owner of the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team, said: “I am delighted that Loris is staying with us. We are very happy about that, and I believe that Loris Baz and his team-mate Garrett Gerloff will form an incredibly strong duo next year, when we can hopefully push hard with the BMW. From a riding potential, we have a great troop, and the team in the background will also remain the same for next year. As such, we will have a well-practiced team in 2023, which has done an outstanding job this year. Furthermore, we will have Loris, Garrett and Eugene Laverty, in the role of riding coach, by my side. Eugene gets on superbly with both riders, so I think the collaboration is going to be great in that regard too. That encourages me to be very positive looking ahead.”
“I am really happy that I will ride for BMW and the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team again next year,” said Baz. “I never doubted that I would. When I joined the project, the intention was to be involved in the long term and to improve every year. I feel really good in the team, and BMW is working harder than anyone else to achieve the goal we all have. I am also delighted to have such a nice guy as Garrett as my team-mate. I also have a very good relationship with Eugene, and it is really important for the team that we feel like a family. I am sure that will also be the case with Garrett. The goal is now to end 2022 strongly and go into the 2023 season with a good basis. Thank you to everyone at BMW, Jürgen Röder and Michael Galinski for the faith they have put in me.”