Loris Baz, the 19 year old French rider drafted into the works Kawasaki Racing Team following regular rider Joan Lascorz’s crippling crash, has been improving with every passing race. The youngster who was contracted originally for two races was given an extension of the contract till the end of the year due to the promise he has shown. Baz has not disappointed Kawasaki and had made onto the podium along with Sykes on one occasion. But it was at Silverstone that the French rider showed the stuff he is made of when he won the first race of the World Superbikes after the race was red flagged after the first lap and resumed as a wet race. The rain was not sufficient to put wet tyres and with the exception of two riders everyone went out on dry tyres but towards the end the rain did come down and since this was a wet race it meant that there was no option of another red flag. As conditions got treacherous Loris Baz showed nerves of steel to hold back BMW Italia riders Michel Fabrizio and Ayrton Badovini and take victory. The latter two took the second and third places on the podium.
The second race was held in a torrential downpour and the race saw victory for Sylvain Guintoli who now rides for PATA Ducati after severing ties with the Effenbert Liberty Ducati team. Loris Baz who duelled with Guintoli for much of the race and even held the first position for a while crashed on the lap when the race was red flagged. The result thus went back to the previous lap on which Baz was in second place and so it was a double podium for Baz at Silverstone. Third position went to the Ducati of Jakob Smrz.
With the Baz’s win in the first race at Silverstone, Kawasaki has become the only manufacturer to see both its riders taking wins this season thus far. However, all Kawasaki victories have come under wet circumstances. Tom Sykes who has been the spear head for Kawasaki this season with a spate of pole positions and one win and several podiums did not do well in his home race and could finish only 8th and 12th in the first and second races. Title protagonists Biaggi, Melandri and Checa did not perform too well either and therefore the points position for the title remains relatively unchanged due to new victors and podium finishers at Silverstone.