Ten Kate Racing, Baz set for WorldSBK return at Jerez

Having revealed its 2019 team line-up and colours, Ten Kate Racing and rider Loris Baz will make its official World Superbike return at the Jerez round after initially targeting a potential comeback at Imola.

Following the 11th-hour split from Honda last year, which put the Dutch team into bankruptcy, the multiple world champions have been plotting a World Superbike return over the winter after joining forces with Yamaha.

The team will run a one-rider effort with Loris Baz for the remainder of 2019, revealing its team colours at his headquarters last weekend, with the Dutch squad initially aiming for a return to racing at either next month’s Imola round or the following round at Jerez in June.

Given the tight turnaround and testing needed to get up to speed with the YZF-R1 for both team and rider, Ten Kate Racing will undergo shakedown tests at Misano towards the end of May meaning it will miss the Imola round (May 10-12) to target a return at Jerez (June 7-9).

“This is the first time that I am wearing the new leather and that I see the bike,” Baz said at the team livery reveal. “The R1 looks just amazing, and this makes waiting till our first race together even harder for me.”

The 26-year-old returned to the World Superbike paddock last year with the Althea BMW squad, finishing in the points in all but two races, on his way to 11th place in the riders’ championship.

Ten Kate Racing, long-time partners with Honda, have claimed 10 world titles including most recently the 2014 World Supersport title with Michael van der Mark.