The title fight points permutations have everyone talking, and there is a mathematical chance that Razgatlıoğlu could attain an insurmountable lead to clinch the WorldSBK Championship in San Juan (minimum 62 points at the end of the weekend, from a current lead of 24 points over Jonathan Rea). However, there is also every chance the season-long tango could go right down the final round in Indonesia as the two protagonists go toe-to-toe in every race.
No matter the result, 2021 has delivered some of the best racing the series has ever seen and a successful campaign for Yamaha with a combined total of 29 podiums with 11 outright victories, hitting a milestone of 300 podiums for the Japanese manufacturer in the premier class last time out with the Turkish ace’s victory in Race 1 at Portimão.
Contributing to those statistics with four podiums of his own is young Italian rider Locatelli, aiming to complete his outstanding rookie season with fourth in the overall championship standings – a position he currently shares on equal points with Michael Ruben Rinaldi.
Villicum features a 4.276km-long circuit layout with a series of hard-braking corners, a long back straight and flowing sections – a combination which delivers thrilling racing on paper. The Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK team will be aiming to provide its riders with the best chance for success following two Free Practice sessions on Friday, each with 45-minutes of track time available to dial in their R1 WorldSBKs from 10:30 (UTC-3) and 15:00.