Razgatlioglu won’t change WorldSBK approach, Locatelli eyeing victories

Toprak Razgatlioglu says he has no intention of changing his approach ahead of his 2022 WorldSBK Championship title defence as he was on hand to pull the wraps of the Pata Crescent Yamaha R1 he will campaign this year.

The Turkish rider successfully overhauled Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea over a thrilling campaign that went down to the wire before being settled in favour of Razgatlioglu.

Multiplying his career victory tally with 13 WorldSBK victories - achieved he has previously said after a change in mentality from Round 3 onwards saw him put focus on each race individually - Razgatlioglu says he has no intention of deviating from his tactics.

“My team has done incredible work over the winter and I have enjoyed testing all the developments,” said Razgatlioglu, who will wear the #1 plate on his machine for the year ahead. 

“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.” 

Joining Razgatlioglu once more will be Andrea Locatelli, who heads into the season as something of a dark horse after a rookie campaign that really gathered momentum as it progressed.

Ending the season with four podiums to his name, the Italian is aiming to get his first wins on the board in 2022.

“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!”