Kawasaki have this evening announced that Brit flyer Tom Sykes will remain with the factory World Superbike squad for 2013 but there are no signs yet of a team-mate for the Huddersfield rider although Leon Haslam and Carlos Checa have been linked with the ride.
Sykes has proven his speed on the big ZX-10R all season long and believes he can achieve his aim of becoming WSBK Champion sooner rather than later. He put pen to paper today for a one-year deal but has the option of a further two.
“It has been fantastic to make a commitment quite early in the season. It’s great to be on the good end of the silly season because that is a weight off my shoulders and I think I have proved my worth this year. Last year did not reflect my potential, I do not feel, but this year I was able to demonstrate what I believe I can do. Obviously Kawasaki has done an absolutely fantastic job, an outstanding amount of work and put in so much effort," said Sykes.
"Everybody can see what we have done this year. I have a fantastic bunch of guys working with me, all my guys in the garage. It is a good team effort, well managed, very professional and I could not ask for any more. That is another reason why I really pushed to stay with Kawasaki. It is a factory team with direct input from KHI, so there are lots of pros for me deciding to stay. This is my third year with Kawasaki and we have had so much bad luck that, despite still being third in the points, we could even have been a couple of places higher at this stage.”
“It is my goal to be World Superbike Champion and I feel we can achieve that sooner or later. We have done so much hard work this year I would not want to miss out on the benefits of all that next year. For sure we can be stronger and we are learning all the time, so we have not seen the full potential of the bike and myself yet.
"Working directly with the factory I have 100% faith in the technicians back in Japan. When I have been there a couple of times they have been very welcoming and supportive. They fully trust my feedback and the direction I want to go in. For me, that is priceless and makes me feel even more comfortable. To continue that relationship is a key in being able to fight for the championship.”
