Sykes leaves Puccetti Kawasaki, re-joins BMW

Tom Sykes’s comeback to the Motul FIM Superbike World Championship with Kawasaki Puccetti Racing lasted just four rounds before he and the team mutually agreed to end the partnership, announcing their intention to part ways after the Catalunya round on 5-7 May.

While few were expecting the former WSBK Champion to dominate on his return after a year in British Superbikes, no-one was expecting the results to be so bad.

Having ridden for the factory Kawasaki Racing Team for nine years, Sykes had some familiarity with the Ninja ZX-10RR that the satellite Puccetti Kawasaki squad operates. Despite this, the Brit’s best result was a 15th place in Race 2 at Assen in April, and of the twelve races Sykes started for Puccetti Kawasaki, he failed to finish in six of them.

Despite this, both parties drew positives from their time together.

“I had no hesitation in joining the Kawasaki Puccetti team and helping them with the refinement of their Ninja ZX-10RR package,” Sykes said after the split. “I hope all the data I helped them accumulate over testing and the first races of the season pushes them closer to winning races in the future.”

These words were echoed by Team Principal Manuel Puccetti: “My team, staff and sponsors were honoured to have Tom join us. As a former World Champion and multiple race winner, his insight has really taken our understanding of the Ninja to the next level. Now he leaves us, and we thank him for all his knowledge and for sharing so much information.”

Although he’s left Puccetti Kawasaki, Sykes will remain in the WSBK paddock in the short term, rejoining the BMW factory team he last raced for 2021 as a fill-in for Michael van der Mark, who broke his leg in a crash at the Assen round.

After reacquainting himself with the M1000RR at WSBK’s Misano Test, Sykes was on the grid for the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team for Round 5 of the championship at the same track, where his best result was 13th.

Given the usual recovery period for a fractured femur, van der Mark is unlikely to return until Round 9 at Magny Cours in September, giving Sykes more opportunities to build on what he’s achieved at Misano.