The two official Yamaha riders line up for their second season together as a formidable pair aboard the R1 WorldSBK. For Razgatlıoğlu, it will be his third year in Yamaha blue after a sensational 2021 season which saw the Turkish ace win 13 races, collect 29 podiums, three pole positions and seven fastest lap awards on his way to the Riders’ Championship title. The 25-year-old will compete with the coveted #1 on his R1 WorldSBK, also revealed for its inaugural outing today.
It will be a tough act to follow one of the most thrilling WorldSBK seasons of the sport’s history, but Yamaha Motor Research & Development Europe and the Crescent team have left no stone unturned during the winter in order to provide the best chance to defend the Riders’, Manufacturers’ and Teams’ Championships. A raft of upgrades introduced across engine and chassis components, as well as key electronics developments, will bolster the R1 WorldSBK’s well-rounded race package.
Launched in its new colours with accents to reflect the latest production-based Yamaha R1, the 2022 Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK machine gives its riders enhanced overall performance compared to the 2021 title-winning racer.
Playing a key part in the team’s future success is 2021 Rookie of the Year Locatelli, who out-performed seasoned stalwarts of the series to finish fourth overall in the Riders’ Championship with incredible consistency throughout his first year in the premier class. The 25-year-old Italian achieved four podiums in total last year and is eager to deliver more – including challenge for his first WorldSBK race victory in 2022.
Pata Snack, a name that has become synonymous with Yamaha since its return to WorldSBK competition in 2016, continues for a seventh consecutive year as title sponsor, joined by financial forecasting software company Brixx displayed in its striking red. Motorcycle accident management specialists, McAMS has also become a Primary Partner of the team to further strengthen its title defence campaign.
The team would also like to welcome back and thank BMP Tappi, Semakin di Depan, Yamalube, Akrapovic, Hel Performance, Corpay and Breeze Motor Group, and extend a warm welcome to new key partners Pro-Bolt, industry leaders in premium fasteners, and OUTDO high performance motorcycle batteries.
Finally, Yamaha fans will not need to wait much longer to see their favourite protagonists turn a wheel in anger, with the first round of the season just around the corner in two weeks’ time from 8-10 April at MotorLand Aragon, following the official pre-season test at the same venue on 4-5 April.