News

Don't call it a comeback

Thursday, 24 May 2018 08:26 GMT

Sykes has been dominating at Donington Park for years and rider will know the importance of winning again, Steve English takes a look

For four years Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was unbeatable at Donington Park. The 2013 WorldSBK champion racked up the wins with ease at his home round, with nine consecutive victories and turned Castle Donington into his fortress. Last year Sykes' winning run was snapped by his teammate, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK).

The reigning world champion bounced back from a terrifying Race 1 crash, coming back through the field from tenth on the grid to take his second home victory. With Sykes having finished second after starting from ninth - courtesy of the Race 2 grid reshuffle - the Yorkshireman should feel confident that he can win again this weekend.

Sykes will know that claiming the win on Saturday will be critical. Having taken the victory in The Netherlands earlier this year, there was a feeling that the grid reshuffle handed him a royal flush, with his rivals on the third row. Being able to take advantage of that was key for Sykes, but winning in a straight up fight against Rea will be imperative.

The title is likely already out of reach for Sykes, after bad luck and reliability issues blighted the opening rounds for him. Now the goal is to get back on the top step of the rostrum and start building some momentum. It's easy to forget how good a rider Sykes has been over the last six years in WorldSBK. With 34 victories and six consecutive seasons inside the top three of the standings, the 32 year old is a consistent force. Starting at his home round he needs to show that he's a force to be reckoned with once again.

Follow Sykes’ progress throughout the Prosecco DOC UK Round, all with the WorldSBK VideoPass.