Loris Baz admits his WorldSBK future ultimately hinges on whether Scott Redding will remain within the BMW fold for the 2024 WorldSBK season.

On the weekend Baz delivered his strongest performance of the year at Imola with an eighth and a seventh in the two full-length features - his first top tens of 2023 - his future at Bonovo BMW appears very much in doubt.

As it stands, BMW is yet to announce whether Redding or Michael van der Mark will partner the incoming Toprak Razgatlioglu in the official ROKiT BMW Motorrad squad for next season. However, talk in the paddock suggests it will hold onto van der Mark at the expense of Redding.

It means Redding is expected to receive an offer to side-step to the factory-backed Bonovo Racing squad and with Garrett Gerloff tied into a two-year deal, it would likely see Baz axed from the team he has raced with since the start of 2022.

It’s a scenario the Frenchman is well aware of, though he says he is frustrated to come across as the weak link in BMW’s quartet having had his season to date hampered by a leg injury sustained during Round 2 in Indonesia when it was clipped by Alex Lowes’ Kawasaki after he dangled it into its path while braking.

It's always time to go fast and I never doubted that I could. It was a big injury and I spent a full month on my sofa, and you can't expect anyone to be fast when they come back from that. 

>>> 2023 WorldSBK Championship Standings <<<

“I am still struggling with the foot, not on the bike in life day by day, it's still painful. It's not like ten years ago when you come back and could do a top five or top six. 

“The level is so high right now. So, it was the right time but I don't think it's going to change much, everything is in Scott's hands so I'll just take this weekend.”

Now one of WorldSBK’s most experienced competitors, despite being aged on 30-years old, Baz made his debut way back in 2012 after being called up to replace Joan Lascorz in the official Kawasaki Racing Team.

Since then, Baz has notched up two wins and 19 podiums, the most of recent of which came during a stand-in performance on the Go Eleven Ducati in 2021 having spent much of the year racing in the United States. 

Though tipped for the vacant seat with the Italian team, Baz eventually chose BMW and Bonovo Racing but strong results have been scarce, limiting him to a best of just two sixth place results.