After announcing that he would be departing Puccetti Kawasaki earlier today it has now been announced Sykes will ride for factory BMW once again

Tom Sykes will remain on the World Superbike grid for the near future after he departed the Puccetti Kawasaki team after only four rounds. The 2013 World Superbike Champion will temporarily join the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, to replace the injured Michael van der Mark at the Misano test and the remaining races that the Dutchman will miss.

The 37-year-old raced in the factory BMW team in World Superbikes between 2019 and 2021. In the three years he spent with the German manufacturer he stood on the podium six times, but never claimed a race win.

After a year away in British Superbikes in 2022 and a slow start to the 2023 season on board a Kawasaki Sykes will be keen to prove he can still be a front runner in World Superbikes. This temporary ride may be exactly what Sykes could need to prove himself once again.

“I’m looking forward to temporarily returning to the BMW Motorrad Motorsport and to the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team,” Sykes said. “I will work hard to support them as best as possible. I know them from the beginning and was involved in developing the BMW M 1000 RR. Now I get the opportunity to contribute again to the development process. I’m looking forward to getting on the new BMW M 1000 RR at the Misano test. At the same time, I wish my former teammate Mickey all the best on his way to recovery while I give everything to stand in for him in the best possible way.”

BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director, Marc Bongers, added: “Welcome back, Tom. We are delighted to welcome Tom temporarily back to our WorldSBK family. This opportunity arose as Tom became available. We believe that he will be a great substitute for as long as it takes for Michael to recover from his injury. We are in constant contact with Michael, and he is making good progress. However, there is no date set for his return. Tom is an outstanding rider and, as well as having plenty of WorldSBK experience, he has been familiar with our project and the team from the very start.”

Images from WorldSBK.com