The Pata Yamaha World Superbike team has unveiled its 2017 YZF-R1 to the world at Yamaha Motor Europe’s official season launch today in Italy.
Running a near-identical colour scheme to last season, the Crescent Racing-run outfit enter their second year as Yamaha’s factory entrant in the World Superbike Championship following two disastrous campaigns with Suzuki in 2014 and 2015.
2013 British Superbike champion Alex Lowes remains with the team for his fourth successive year, and will be joined by Dutchman Michael van der Mark. World Supersport Champion in 2014, 2017 will be van der Mark’s first year in any class of the Superbike World Championship where he is not part of the Ten Kate Honda fold.
Last year proved a tricky year for Pata Yamaha. Spending much of the year developing the R1, top results were hard to come by. However, there were moments of promise for the British team. BSB-bound Sylvain Guintoli managed to make the rostrum in Qatar, while Lowes made several appearances inside the top five across the season. The pair ended the year 11th and 12th in the standings on 141 and 131 points respectively.
With just three podiums to his name in WorldSBK, Lowes will be keen to change that figure this year with a team filling him with confidence following a successful pre-season thus far.
“For me, as a rider, staying in the team makes me so optimistic and testing has gone really well. I feel fantastic and we have had a good winter, so I am ready to get started,” the Briton said.
Van der Mark tallied up nine top three finishes during his time with Honda, though is still seeking his debut victory. A change in manufacturer will present a daunting challenge, but the Dutchman admits that he is already comfortable within his new surroundings.
“After the first laps on this bike I though I had made the right choice. I have been more and more comfortable and faster every time. I am looking forward to the first round in Phillip Island,” he said.
Also present at the launch were Yamaha’s European Superstock 1000, World Supersport and World Supersport 300 line-ups.
Yamaha, along with the rest of the paddock, will head to Phillip Island next week for one final two-day test before the opening round of the 2017 season kicks off just a few days later.
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