Almost a year to the day he was celebrating a shock World Superbike Championship win at a sodden Silverstone, Loris Baz has repeated history by claiming a second-career victory in similar circumstances around the same circuit at the eighth round of 15 in this year’s championship series.

The Frenchman has been in excellent form around the British circuit all weekend and was well in the hunt for victory during a tricky first race as intermittent drizzle made conditions slippery. However, having run second for a long time, Baz would lose pace in the closing stages, being demoted to fifth position, much to his frustration.

“After race one I was really disappointed because I was fighting for the podium but maybe I was thinking too much about this and made a lot of mistakes, so I finished fifth.

As such, Baz was determined to make amends in race two, aggressively snatching the lead through Becketts on the opening lap and holding firm until lap eight. Though passed by Chaz Davies and both Suzukis at one stage, a calm Baz remained both in contention and out of trouble as the race entered its latter stages, the youngster finding himself on the tail of Jules Cluzel with three laps remaining.

Pushing through on lap sixteen at Stowe, Baz resumed his place out front, a move that would ultimately prove decisive when a red flag on lap seventeen – because of rain – would see the results declared with him on top of the timesheets.

A timely second-career win for a rider who admitted pre-event that he needed a good result this weekend, Baz was thrilled to be standing on top of the Silverstone podium again and duly dedicated his success to fallen Kawasaki counterpart Andrea Antonelli.

“In race two I said to myself, “OK, this one is mine.” In the first part of the race, even in the dry, I had good pace and I pushed at the front. I tried to control the pace from the front but there were some fast people behind me and it was difficult to go away.

“Every time somebody tried to pass me I passed them back and at the end the conditions were really wet and I nearly fell. I want to say thanks my team because they are making a really good job with this bike for not just Tom or me but for both riders. Now I feel really comfortable.

“I also want to dedicate this victory to Andrea Antonelli’s family.”

RACE ONE:

1. Jonathan Rea GBR Pata Honda CBR1000RR 17 laps
2. Eugene Laverty IRL Aprilia Racing RSV4 +3.073s
3. Leon Camier GBR Fixi Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 +3.480s
4. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Aprilia Racing RSV4 +3.608s
5. Loris Baz FRA Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R +4.140s
6. Jules Cluzel FRA Fixi Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 +5.659s
7. Leon Haslam GBR Pata Honda CBR1000RR +6.443s
8. Ayrton Badovini ITA Alstare Ducati 1199 R +10.544s
9. Marco Melandri ITA BMW GoldBet S1000RR HP4 +14.017s
10. Chaz Davies GBR BMW GoldBet S1000RR HP4 +14.167s
11. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R +14.180s
12. Max Neukirchner GER MR Ducati 1199 R +26.536s
13. Carlos Checa ESP Alstare Ducati 1199 R +43.561s
14. Michel Fabrizio ITA Red Devils Roma RSV4 +46.373s
15. Mark Aitchison AUS Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +1m 33.624s

16. Federico Sandi ITA Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +1 lap
17. Vittorio Iannuzzo ITA Grillini Dentalmatic BMW S1000RR +2 laps

Not Classified

18. Davide Giugliano ITA Althea Racing RSV4 9 laps completed

RACE TWO:

1. Loris Baz FRA Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R 16 laps
2. Jules Cluzel FRA Fixi Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 +0.609s
3. Eugene Laverty IRL Aprilia Racing RSV4 +0.869s
4. Jonathan Rea GBR Pata Honda CBR1000RR +2.145s
5. Leon Camier GBR Fixi Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 +2.229s
6. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Aprilia Racing RSV4 +2.374s
7. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R +5.791s
8. Ayrton Badovini ITA Alstare Ducati 1199 R +20.126s
9. Marco Melandri ITA BMW GoldBet S1000RR HP4 +20.209s
10. Carlos Checa ESP Alstare Ducati 1199 R +20.629s
11. Michel Fabrizio ITA Red Devils Roma RSV4 +20.769s
12. Max Neukirchner GER MR Ducati 1199 R +21.407s
13. Federico Sandi ITA Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +45.015s
14. Mark Aitchison AUS Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +45.938s
15. Davide Giugliano ITA Althea Racing RSV4 +46.036s

16. Vittorio Iannuzzo ITA Grillini Dentalmatic BMW S1000RR +1m 22.207s

Not Classified

17. Leon Haslam GBR Pata Honda CBR1000RR 16 laps completed
18. Chaz Davies GBR BMW GoldBet S1000RR HP4 14 laps completed

Fastest lap
Sylvain Guintoli FRA Aprilia Racing RSV4 2m 05.283s

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: