The launch dates for Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK, Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK, and GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team have all been set ahead of 2022 Championship.
Yamaha and Kawasaki have announced their WorldSBK launch dates for 2022, with all three events taking place on March.
Team HRC revealed its CBR1000RR-R Fireblade on February 15th, making Honda the first manufacturer to declare their 2022 bike debut.
Kawasaki will be the next factory team to debut their 2022 ZX-10RR on March 23rd, joining Yamaha and Ducati, who are now testing at Portimao.
Pata Yamaha and GRT Yamaha will then follow suit, launching their R1 motorcycles on March 25th and 26th, coinciding with Catalunya WorldSBK test.
Ducati and BMW are the two manufacturers who have yet to announce their 2022 bike debut dates.
With the announcement of GRT Yamaha’s launch date, riders Garrett Gerloff and Kohta Nozane will be part of the only’satellite’ team to have an official launch date confirmed thus far.
Pata Yamaha’s Toprak Razgatlioglu, the 2021 world champion, will be the first to introduce the #1 plate at Yamaha’s bike presentation. Jonathan Rea, the six-time world champion, will return to #65 for the first time since 2015.
While both Razgatlioglu and Rea will participate in at least two tests before their official team presentations, the lone Dorna-organized Superbike test will take place at Aragon (4-5) in early April, three days before the season start (8-10).
The pre-season testing schedule, as well as whatever tests the team plans during the season, will not be the only testing for reigning world champion Razgatlioglu this year, as team director for the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP team, Massimo Meregalli, has confirmed that the Turkish Champion will be aboard an M1 in either June or August, ahead of a possible switch to grand prix racing in 2023.
