Sykes relishing ‘natural’ WorldSBK return

Tom Sykes returns to Kawasaki and the WorldSBK paddock for 2023 but for the first time in his 15-year career, it’s within a satellite squad.

After a year’s sabbatical in BSB, Sykes is back on the world stage as part of the Puccetti Kawasaki Racing Team. Four days testing at Jerez and Portimao followed by the team presentation in Italy officially launched the ‘comeback’ with the Yorkshire man feeling as upbeat and confident as ever in his new surroundings.

“The presentation was fantastic, in true Italian style,” Sykes said from ‘Ruote da Sogno’ museum in Italy’s Motor Valley. “A great location, lots of people and some good food to enjoy. Everything was organised in the best possible way, and I congratulate Manuel and his staff.

“My first goal during winter testing was to settle in and get to know the team. We definitely achieved that, as I feel very comfortable with them, and that’s another reason why the tests went well. There is still some work to do but we have laid the foundations for a good season.”

Before the celebrations, Sykes was on track for two days of testing at both Jerez Circuit and the Algarve International in preparation for the opening round of the season, at Australia’s Phillip Island in a fortnight’s time.

“The target here was to get to have a better working environment with the guys and just to feel more comfort in the garage, get that relationship going really well,” the 37-year-old told Bikesportnews.com at the close of Portimao’s final day. “We did a lot of trial and error with the bike. Didn’t rush into many things, same as Jerez, just kind of explored my feelings with the bike, different settings, trying to get comfortable and get a setup where I’m able to use the bike a little bit more.

“At the