Tom Sykes: “I thought I might get a pot of tea and get to know him”

After their fallout on social media a few months ago, Tom Sykes says his return to BMW at the recent WorldSBK test in Misano was met without much interaction from Scott Redding.

Robert Jones

19 May 2023

The two clashed over a dispute between Alvaro Bautista and Ana Carrasco, when the reigning WorldSBK champion felt as though his fellow Spaniard should not have been riding at the same time as Superbike riders.

Redding then came to Carrasco’s defence while Sykes agreed with Bautista, which led to a heated spat between the two Brits.

And after making his temporary return to the factory BMW team in place of the injured Michael Van Der Mark last week, Sykes claimed he and Redding barely spoke in Misano.

"I’ve not really seen him much," Sykes told WorldSBK.com. "We had a conversation on Instagram a couple of months ago but regarding in the box, I thought I might get a pot of tea and get to know him.

"But as soon as he’s finished riding, he’s on his push bike and gone, so I don’t really see him!

"Honestly, I think it’s good that we have very similar comments on the items, and that’s always good for the forward momentum."

Following a disastrous opening four rounds with Puccetti Kawasaki on his WorldSBK return, so much so that it led to Sykes leaving the team, the former world champion felt good about being back aboard an M 1000 RR.

Sykes said: "I know the team and bike from previous years and everything has been relaxed and like clockwork on day one.

"Lap by lap, I was getting the old feeling back with the package, but it’s clear that they’ve made steps forward from the last time I rode it.

"Ultimately, here at Misano, a circuit I enjoy, so it was a good, productive day. Compliments to all the guys and BMW, they’ve made a big step forward in a lot of areas and that was very easy for me to see.

"There’s been small changes to my position on the bike compared to Michael and some little tweaks to setup and that was literally it. In the latter stages of the day, we got a good feeling with the race tyre and that brought a smile to my face."

While Sykes was greeted by mixed conditions on his return to BMW at the Misano test, the 27-year-old was able to make improvements throughout as he gets set to stand-in for Van Der Mark at next month’s Misano round.

"Ultimately, I am very happy with the test and I’m getting a bit more of an understanding of where the guys have made some lovely steps since last riding the bike," added Sykes.

"Today, we went through some items so it took a bit of sting out of the tail as we spent some time evaluating that and then in between the rain and sun, the guys did a great job.

"Myself and Scott have been working on the items and have gathered some very good information on how to improve some limitations. The guys have got time to react and from that, hopefully it’s moving forward all of the time.

"For me, it’s good to get an understanding for the next event. The goal is to be competitive and enjoy my racing, so we shall see.

"We’ve had some good results here in the past with the BMW both in Superpole and in the races, so it’d be lovely to repeat the podium success.

"I think that’d be a fantastic target. There’s a lot of competition but I think if we keep working, we can find more speed than what we showed during the test."