Sykes and BMW step up
BMW raised eyebrows at the weekend, with Tom Sykes taking the new S1000RR’s first full-length dry race podium. The bike’s previous three rostrums had come in rainaffected opening races at Misano and Donington Park as well as the ten-lap sprint race at Laguna Seca, but the Magny-Cours result was undoubtedly its best yet as the 2013 champ finished third on Saturday. Qualifying sixth in France, Sykes completed a run of 50 consecutive qualifying sessions in which he has qualified on either the front or second row of the grid, dating back to the Qatari round at the end of 2015. Even before France, BMW had been tipped for success due to the nimble nature of its chassis, but MCN has learned that new engine components were brought in for Round 11. “I didn’t expect a podium in a race like that, with no dry Friday practice and no previous data at this circuit like the other guys,” Sykes commented, having overtaken Jonathan Rea to lead Race 1 for five laps. “The S1000RR feels very good although we need to be quicker in the early stages.”
For most of the race, the Yorkshireman fought hard with another former Kawasaki teammate in the form of Loris Baz on the Ten Kate Yamaha, crossing the line third as the very disappointed Frenchman settled for fourth. Sunday’s pair of races delivered less thrilling results, with eighth place in both after going the wrong way in terms of set-up and losing rear grip.
‘I didn’t expect a podium with no dry practice’