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Tom Sykes settles back into BMW, targets return to WorldSBK sharp end

Tom Sykes, ROKiT BMW, BMW M 1000 RR, action [credit: ROKiT BMW WorldSBK]

Tom Sykes says he will be making ‘little personal goals’ when he makes his return to the ROKiT BMW WorldSBK squad at Misano next month.

The 2013 WorldSBK Champion re-joins the Shaun Muir Racing-run factory BMW team while regular rider Michael van der Mark recovers from an injury sustained in a crash at Assen.

Sykes raced with the team for three seasons between 2019-2021, though was controversially dropped from its line-up for 2022 when BMW signed Scott Redding in his place. 

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Since then Sykes has contested a modestly successful season in the British Superbike Championship (BSB), while he began the season in WorldSBK with the Puccetti Kawasaki squad before parting ways after four rounds to accept BMW’s deal.

While BMW has endured a tough start to the season with its latest generation BMW M 1000 RR, Sykes - who achieved five podiums and three pole positions with the team - is thinks a return to the rostrum is a ‘fantastic target’.

“The goal is to be competitive and enjoy my racing, so we shall see. We’ve had some good results here in the past with the BMW both in Superpole and in the races, so it’d be lovely to repeat the podium success. I think that’d be a fantastic target. There’s a lot of competition but I think if we keep working, we can find more speed than what we showed during the test.”

Tom Sykes, ROKiT BMW, BMW M 1000 RR, portrait, pit, garage [credit: ROKiT BMW WorldSBK]
Tom Sykes, ROKiT BMW, BMW M 1000 RR, portrait, pit, garage [credit: ROKiT BMW WorldSBK]

Getting his first run on the M 1000 RR during a recent two-day test at Misano, Sykes says he is looking forward to getting to know team-mate Redding better over ‘a pot of tea’.

“I’ve not really seen him much. We had a conversation on Instagram a couple of months ago but regarding in the box, I thought I might get a pot of tea and get to know him. 

“But as soon as he’s finished riding, he’s on his push bike and gone, so I don’t really see him! Honestly, I think it’s good that we have very similar comments on the items, and that’s always good for the forward momentum.”

CLICK HERE to view the 2023 WorldSBK Championship standings after Round 4 of 12

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