Tom Sykes has congratulated Chaz Davies on earning the eventual runner-up position in the 2015 eni FIM Superbike World Championship.

The Kawasaki Racing Team and Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team riders headed into Sunday’s Qatar finale both in contention for second overall behind World Champion Jonathan Rea, but Sykes was unable to make up a 16-point deficit.

“It’s been a difficult year but, overall, I have to be satisfied with myself because we have been working a lot in a bad place, really,” began Sykes, referring in particular to his early-season difficulties following rule changes which came into place for the 2015 campaign. “We have had a massive compromise, so to still be getting podiums like this only motivates me for the coming season.

“Overall today, it went well. In Race 1 we had a technical issue; there was a problem with the electronics, which put it onto full traction control settings and less power. I tried to reduce it, but two corners later it would be full again. So I really struggled with that one, but Race 2 was somewhere close to where we need to be.”

World Champion in 2013 and runner-up in both 2012 and 2014, Sykes had been hoping to finish in the top two of the standings for the fourth year running.

“Honestly speaking, it’s a shame to lose out on second in the championship – to keep the nice little record running – but Chaz deserves it,” Sykes began to conclude. “He’s had an incredible second half to the season, been very strong and again today he rode really well. Congratulations to him. Third for me is nothing to be embarrassed about, but hopefully next year we can get more.”

Kawasaki Racing Team’s pre-season testing with the new Kawasaki ZX-10R for 2016 will begin at MotorLand Aragon in Spain in two weeks’ time. For the opening two days of testing, Sykes will be alone as World Champion Jonathan Rea remains at home, expecting the arrival of his second baby son.