After both standing on the podium twice in Imola, KRT pairing Rea and Sykes are looking ahead to Sepang International Circuit and the Fassi Malaysian Round. With a new track surface to contend with, some re-profiled corners and the ever-present Malaysian tropical heat, the challenge will prove very different to that of Assen and Imola.

Last time out in Asia the Kawasaki duo split the winnings with Rea and Sykes taking a victory each in Buriram, Thailand, and treating the crowd to some stunning duels. After locking out the podium in Imola behind Ducati’s Chaz Davies, both Kawasaki riders will be looking to go one better in Sepang and take back the top step. Last year, Rea won Race 1 and was just beaten over the line in Race 2, setting a good precedent for Round 6 in 2016.

“We have some good memories of Sepang from last year,” says Rea. “We were able to be really strong, especially when it came to tyre life. So I am excited to go back there. We are still developing new ideas. In Race 2 at Imola, although we had some small issues, we found a lot of positives. I think for Sepang we will have really good information. I have also watched the race from last year a few times. The most exciting part about this weekend is to go somewhere with a lot of heat. Aside from the first two flyaway races the weather has been so inconsistent. I enjoy working in the heat and the consistent temperatures will be better for everybody. That should also make the tyre choice much more straightforward and we can work better on our race set-up. I am just looking forward to working again to help take the new Ninja forward.”

“Sepang is a circuit where we have had great speed in the past,” added Sykes. “Last year unfortunately we abused the tyres too much but apart from that our speed was fantastic. I am really excited to go back there. We know we will have to work on the balance of the bike compared to last year to try and make a good compromise between speed and consistency. I am motivated to know that we can still adjust our package to let me do what we need to do. It is no secret that I am still not able to showcase my full potential but that is good in one way because that means that there is more to come. Sepang is a great circuit and a great facility. They have resurfaced the track so I think it will be quite a weekend for a number of reasons.”

Rea and Sykes will be heading out to test the tarmac on Friday 13^th May for the first time, before Race 1 and Race 2 begin at 16:00 local time (GMT +8) on Saturday and Sunday.