‘Target on my back’ ‘I am coming back to win BSB’
2021 championship position WSB – 2021 championship position WSB – 13th
After 13 seasons in World Superbikes Tom Sykes is coming home. The 2013 world champion has signed with Paul Bird Motorsport for a third stint in his career and will be unleashed on a Ducati for the very first time.
It’s an exciting move for the championship, one that has caused plenty of debate: How well will Sykes do after such a long time away from the British series? Sykes is an interesting case. So much has changed since the end of 2008. BSB is arguably the most competitive it has ever been and there’s little room for error.
Sykes also has to reconnect with the traditional tight and twisty circuits such as Knockhill, Oulton and Cadwell Park. Then there’s the controlled Motec ECU system to contend with.
Ultimately, it’s hard to see Sykes taking as long as some people are suggesting it might to get back into the BSB groove. Sykes was immediately under the lap record at the Snetterton test, on the 300 layout which he has never ridden before. Remember, you don’t become a world champion for nothing.
“It is what it is,” Sykes told MCN. “A circuit is a circuit; a corner is a corner.
The only kind of real difference in BSB, in my opinion, is that there are a few circuits where you’re a little more out of the seat than you are in WSB.”
There’s no doubt that Sykes will have a target on his back this season. It’s not often that you get the chance to try to ruffle-up and beat a world champion, but this also won’t faze Sykes.
“That comes with the territory. It’s great. I don’t see it as extra pressure, I finished inside the top three in WSB for six consecutive years and people have argued that without a little bit of interference and getting knocked off a couple of times, I could have had three crowns. I’m lucky enough to have one.
“So, to have a target on my back, it isn’t a big problem. If you’re fighting for the world championship, you’ve one hell of a target on your back.”
Sykes has no doubts in his mind and it’s clear he’s entering the season in the right frame of mind. He may be on a new bike, but he’s in familiar surroundings, is already fast and competitive, and looks to be having fun in the British paddock. Things will get tougher once the racing starts, but it’s hard to imagine that Sykes won’t be a title contender.
Leon Haslam makes his return to British Superbikes this year after spending the last three in WSB. The last time Haslam rode in BSB he destroyed the field to take his maiden crown, scoring 15 wins along the way. Now he’s back for more and he’s on a Kawasaki once again, riding for the newly named VisionTrack team, run by Lee Hardy Racing.
Of course, plenty has changed, but the general feeling is that it won’t take long for a rider of Haslam’s quality and experience to readjust to the BSB-spec Superbike. And one thing is for sure, Haslam hasn’t returned to the UK for a quiet ride into the sunset.
“If we’re not challenging for the title then from my point of view there’s no point, I’ll stop riding,” Haslam insisted to MCN. “I’m coming back to win and maximise whatever that package is. The unknown is where that’s going to lay us. If I maximise my package and it’s only good enough for fifth, then that’s where you are in racing.
“But, the excitement is that I do believe that if we do our job right, we can be winning races and if we can turn that into a championship, that’s what is firing me up to train every day, to get fit and overcome all these obstacles.”
There’s no doubting Haslam will be quick and that he knows the Kawasaki ZX-10RR like the back of his hand, but there is still work to do. Kawasaki were the only manufacturer not to win a race last season, and none of their riders made it into the Showdown.
Once he’s up and running, Haslam will be battling for race wins again. As for the title, we’ll have to wait and see.