2022’s title defence began on Thursday as Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK unveiled its livery ahead of a weekend of action.
With 20 of the 24 full-time WorldSBK riders set to take to the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit on Friday for two days of testing, 2021 Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu and Yamaha teammate Andrea Locatelli had a busy week. The duo showcasing their newly wrapped YZF-R1’s as the team prepared to defend the ‘Triple Crown’, with the Turk proudly displaying the #1.
Their second season as a double act, ‘Rookie of the Year’ Locatelli looks to learn from his dominant teammate - albeit having already claimed fourth overall on his debut - after Razgatlioglu collected 13 race victories, 29 podiums, three pole positions and seven fastest lap awards on his way to the title last year.
A raft of upgrades from Yamaha Europe, introduced across engine and chassis components as well as key electronics developments, await the pair, bolstering the Superbike-spec R1’s well-rounded race package. Launched in new colours with accents reflecting the latest production-based Yamaha R1, the 2022 machine returns title sponsor Pata for the seventh year in a row, with financial forecasting software company Brixx in the mix for a second term.
MaCams can also be seen on the bike for the coming season, highlighting the partnership with both the motorcycle accident management specialists and the BSB team - with assistance offered to the British Superbike outfit both during the winter months and for Tarran Mackenzie’s upcoming wildcard appearances on the world stage.
“My team has done incredible work over the winter and I have enjoyed testing all the developments!” Razgatlioglu confirmed ahead of the Barcelona action. “The new R1 WorldSBK looks amazing and we are ready to start the new season.
“I always say, my approach is the same in this championship: to fight for race wins every time.
“I cannot wait to ride my bike this week in Barcelona, we will continue to work on the race package and try to improve after very good tests in Aragon and Portimão. It will also be good to see our competition for 2022, but our focus is inside the Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK pit box for these final days before the first race.”
“I am really excited to start racing again!” Locatelli added. “It’s my second season in WorldSBK and also with Yamaha, so for sure we have higher objectives. Even with more experience, the focus remains on trying to improve every session towards being able to fight for the podium every weekend. This is our objective and I hope we can start well, from the first race until the last one!
“I want to try and win with the Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK team in 2022, because it is important for me and also for the team. We had such an amazing season last year, but I am ready to take the next step.
“The 2022 Yamaha R1 WorldSBK looks great, we have new colours on the bike but also some new developments and parts that we tried during testing this winter – now, we will finalise the package to use during the season. Yamaha has done a fantastic job around the bike to find improvements and we are almost ready to go!”
