WSBK: Sykes to Stay with BMW for 2021

Tom Sykes and the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team will continue working together for the 2021 season.

The former world champion has been part of the outfit since BMW rejoined the WorldSBK grid as a full factory effort in 2019. In their debut season, Sykes secured one pole position and four podium finishes on the BMW S 1000 RR. He followed up with another pole position at the 2020 season opener at Phillip Island.

Sykes will partner Michael van der Mark who has been confirmed with the German manufacturer earlier this year.

Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport director, commented on the extended partnership:

“Tom has been part of our WorldSBK Team from the very start and is an important pillar of this project. We are pleased to be able to continue along the common path in 2021, which we embarked upon with the first tests back in December 2018. This gives us continuity, which is very important for the successful development of a project. We have already achieved a lot together, and the goal is now to definitively close the gap to the front-runners. Tom’s extensive knowledge of the BMW S 1000 RR and his input will play a key role in achieving this.”

Marc Bongers

Sykes debuted in WorldSBK as a wildcard with Suzuki in 2008. After serving his first full season in the class with Yamaha in 2009, he joined Kawasaki and achieved his maiden win in 2011. He accumulated a total of 112 podiums, including 34 wins, to date and took the world title with the Kawasaki Racing Team in 2013.

2020 has shown promise so far for Sykes and BMW with pole position in Australia and a best finish of sixth, a result Sykes achieved on three occasions.

Sykes won the shoot-out duel over the second spot in the BMW garage alongside van der Mark against his current teammate Eugene Laverty. He outscored Laverty by 31 points across the four rounds held in 2020 and proved that he has the edge over his 2013 title rival.