WorldSBK is Green once more. After a double set of podium appearances in the two races of the penultimate fixture of the series at Jerez in Spain, glory will fall onto the plate of either reigning number one Jonathan Rea or Kawasaki Racing Team compatriot Tom Sykes as the 2016 series heads into a last round showdown at Losail, Qatar in two weeks time.
“I am satisfied with the championship gap,” Rea said. “We can go to Qatar in a relaxed mood and look to pick up the target there. Jerez is a low grip track. As soon as the grip went off I was starting to struggle a lot, although not like yesterday. We changed a lot on the bike for Sunday, including the engine character. I had confidence with my team that it was in the right direction and I think we made one step forward.”
Rea ultimately missed title celebrations by just two points but now only needs to classify at Losail while Sykes requires two race wins for only the second time this season. He also has to be mindful of the lively Davies who is just 19 points in arrears and could capitalise on the slightest error by the ’13 Champ. “We will move on from this and try to be stronger,” Sykes said at Jerez. “We have a 48-point deficit and we need to find a better set-up in Qatar to allow me to be aggressive from start to finish. I feel I am not able to do what I need to do right now. I do not want to lose second in the championship if we can help it.”
WorldSBK has to stew for another fortnight while prep begins for the teams to move the show and logistics to Qatar and another potentially fraught finale in the desert evening air.
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