Tom Sykes has been taken to hospital with a suspected head injury after being involved in an accident during the opening stages of WorldSBK Race 2 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
The BMW rider - WorldSBK Champion in 2013 - was involved in a collision with Puccetti Kawasaki rider Lucas Mahias on lap two at the first part of the Turn 1-2 complex following the long home straight.
With the incident not caught on live cameras or replayed, it isn’t clear exactly what caused the incident, though Mahias was seen running over to check on Sykes’ welfare in the immediate aftermath.
With doctors tending to Sykes on track while the race was red flagged, he was taken away by ambulance before a note was distributed saying he has been taken straight to hospital with a suspected head injury. BMW has since confirmed though that he is conscious.
It marks a worrying end to a weekend that started brightly for Sykes after scoring his first pole position of the season - and the 51st of his WorldSBK career - on Saturday, only for him to retire from the Superpole Race after being collected by his crashing BMW team-mate Michael van der Mark.
As it stands Sykes is out of a ride at the end of the season to make way for the incoming Scott Redding. His options appear limited to a possible seat at the Bonovo MGM satellite BMW squad alongside Jonas Folger, though there is talk he could be returning to the British Superbike Championship 14 years after the former Rizla Suzuki rider departed to compete in WorldSBK.
