The Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK Team became the fourth factory squad to officially launch their 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship campaign at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. With reigning Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu running the #1 plate on his YZF-R1, it’ll be the first time Yamaha have run with the #1 on their bike in WorldSBK history and the team unveiling was the first chance to show this off rather than the hybrid #54/#1 plate seen throughout testing.

Razgatlioglu claimed his first title after an incredible 2021 campaign as he beat Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in the final round showdown at Indonesia that capped off an unforgettable season. Now, the tables have turned with Razgatlioglu entering the season as the rider to beat rather than the one hunting down the reigning Champion and Rea looking to reclaim the title that he won six times in a row between 2015 and 2020. Despite using the #1 plate in 2022, Razgatlioglu has stated that his approach will not change as he looks to become only the fifth rider to win back-to-back crowns in WorldSBK.

Looking ahead to 2022, Razgatlioglu said: “My team has done incredible work over the winter and I have enjoyed testing all the developments! 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 Portimao. 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.”

Razgatlioglu is once again joined by Andrea Locatelli in the factory Yamaha squad with the Italian embarking on his second season with the team. After a stellar rookie season where he finished as the top rookie in the standings, claimed four podiums and finished with 30 out of a possible 37 top-ten finishes, the 2020 WorldSSP Champion will be looking to build on chases down a maiden WorldSBK victory.

Previewing the upcoming test and the 2022 campaign, Locatelli said: “I am really excited to start racing again! 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!”

Paul Denning, Team Principal, Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK added: “It is a pleasure to show off the new Yamaha WorldSBK colours for the 2022 season. Heading into this year’s racing has an extra special element as we line up as the defending WorldSBK Champions, but our goals remain the same – do our best, stay focused on what we can control and maximise our performance. Both Toprak and Loka have been working hard over the winter, Yamaha’s engineers have been completely committed, and the Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK team has been fully engaged to finalise our competitive package both on and off the track.”

BE PART OF HISTORY: watch every moment of the 2022 campaign in style using the WorldSBK VideoPass!