Sykes commits to BMW WSBK for 2020

Sykes joined BMW after nine seasons with Kawasaki’s factory WSBK team, which included winning the 2013 WSBK title.

While 2019 has been something of a development year for the reborn BMW factory team and the all-new S 1000 RR, Sykes’s results have improved as the season has progressed.

As of the Portimao round of this year’s championship, Sykes has secured podium finishes at Misano, Donington and Laguna Seca, as well as Superpole at Donington. With three rounds remaining at time of writing, Sykes sits in eighth place in the championship.

"I’m very excited and proud to be continuing into the 2020 season with the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team,” Sykes said of the new deal that was announced on 7 September.

“Such a successful year so far with the all new BMW S 1000 RR, which is still very early in its development, gives me great motivation moving forward. I really enjoy the development part and we are certainly moving in a strong way. Of course, with support from the whole of the team and BMW, my expectations for the 2020 season will certainly move higher and back to where I feel most natural.”

Sykes’s team mate for 2020 will be Eugene Laverty, replacing Markus Reiterberger. Runner-up behind Sykes in 2013, Laverty has hopped from team to team in recent years, spending time on Yamaha and Suzuki machinery but the Irishman secured his best race results on the Aprilia RSV4.

This season, Laverty has been racing a Ducati Panigale V4 R for satellite outfit Team Goeleven with a best race result to date of sixth at Aragon.