WSB: Pata Yamaha unveil 2022 livery ahead of Barcelona Test

The Pata Yamaha with Brixx 2022 livery has been unveiled by reigning World Superbike champion Toprak Razgatlioglu and Andrea Locatelli.

For the first time in Yamaha’s history the illustrious number one plate will be visible on their Superbike, with Razgatlioglu opting to ditch his regular 54 following his title win in 2021. The team are aiming to defend their Triple Crown – Riders’, Manufacturers’ and Teams’ Championships – this season after becoming the first British team to achieve that feat.

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The R1’s livery has been modified slightly for 2022. The Silver sections of the 2021 design have been removed, with dashes of either black or blue replacing them. The front fairing includes two pin stripes in a lighter shade of blue, either side of the riders’ number.

Toprak’s number one is black with a gold trim, and includes the Turkish flag and multiple number 54s within the main number – a nod to his traditional race number. 

The dashes of red remain for sponsor, Brixx. Pata Snack continues for a seventh consecutive year as title sponsor, Toprak’s has a gold collar on his race suit, alongside gold boots, whilst Locatelli keeps his illuminous yellow.

2022 is Razgatlioglu’s third as a Yamaha rider. Last year the Turkish rider recorded 13 wins, 29 podiums, three pole positions and seven fastest lap awards on his way to ending Jonathan Rea’s six-year reign as champion.

“My team has done incredible work over the winter, and I have enjoyed testing all the developments,” Toprak said. “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.”

Locatelli returns for a second campaign after sealing an impressive debut season. The 25-year-old Italian achieved four podiums on his way to fourth overall in the standings. Locatelli went on a run of 12 consecutive top five finishes in the middle of the season, and is now eyeing up a first WSB victory.

“I am really excited to start racing again,” Locatelli said. “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!”

Yamaha have been working on several upgrades during the off-season, including engine and chassis components, as well as key electronics development.

“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,” Team Principal,Paul Denning added.

“Both Toprak and Loka have been working hard over the winter, Yamaha’s engineers have been completely committed, and the Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldBSK team has been fully engaged to finalise our competitive package both on and off the track.”

Both riders will take part in a private two-day test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on March 25-26. The final official WSB test takes place at Aragon on April 4-5, with the Spanish circuit also hosting the season opener on April 8-10.