SBK, Prosecco DOC Portuguese Round: Kawasaki aims for a double

Next weekend we will find the World Championship of production derivatives with the tenth round of the season in the splendid setting of the Autodromo Do Algarve in Portimao, Portugal, which returns to the world championship calendar this year.

Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes are at the top of the world championship standings and are preparing to face the Prosecco DOC Portuguese Round: after having carried out a private test in the middle of the season they are confident of being able to find the right rhythm as early as Friday.

Jonathan Rea has won the last three races held here and feels very confident ahead of the weekend despite having some concerns about the potholes on the track.

“I'm happy to return to Portimao this weekend, it's a race weekend where I really enjoy myself” – he began Jonathan Rhea – “The circuit has character and is fun to drive, but in recent years it has had a lot of potholes. It will be important to optimize our set up to be strong for the full race. We had a good private test in the middle of the year so I'm sure we can start on Friday with a good feeling. I've spent the last few days here in Portugal with my family, enjoying the Algarve weather and focusing on what is a very important weekend for me. Our goal is to try to win the two races."

Tom Sykes has his sights set on not only victory, but also pole on the track where he won twice, in 2012 and 2014: so far he has won 42 and if he went to 43 he would reach the all-time record.

“We had another summer break after Germany and I had time to reflect on the year and I feel it's going well” – he said Tom Sykes – “I need to work on other things and, honestly, I know I can improve. Right now I'm focused on changing my riding style and getting a little more out of the bike. We will continue to work on this. Portimao is a track that I like and where I have achieved good results, but the circuit is irregular now. I can't wait to get on track, especially after spending more time away from the track since the previous round."