<Developer Interview> Yamaha MotoGP undergoes a major transformation: Can a V4 engine vehicle save its prestigious name?

January 20, 2026

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<Developer Interview> Yamaha MotoGP undergoes a major transformation: Can a V4 engine vehicle save its prestigious name?

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WebikePlus Editorial

The 2025 season is certainly a step forward in the revival of the2024 season, which was one of the worst seasons inYamaha's Grand Prix history.And in 2026, Yamaha MotoGPwill send out a completely new design, a V4 engine machine!

Escape from the bottom.The 25th season, where we saw the light.

2025 Yamaha YZR-M1 with Fabio Cuartararo

2025 Yamaha YZR-M1 (Fabio Quartararo)

"I think the 2025 YZR-M1 is a big jump up in terms of performance compared to '24. However, there was also, of course, the evolution of rival manufacturers. However, of course there was progress made by rival manufacturers,so we were not able to close the gap to our rivals in relative terms.Fabio Cuartararo and Alex Rins finished 13th and 18th, respectively, in the championship standings. In 40 races, 20 of which were sprints/full races, neither rider was able to finish on the podium or even line up on the front row of the grid in qualifying. By the numbers, it was probably one of the worst seasons in Yamaha's Grand Prix history.In the 25th season, the factory team Monster Team and the Pramac Team joined the Yamaha camp, bringing the total to two teams of four riders. In the rider standings, Quartararo was 9th, Rins 19th, and newcomers Jack Miller 17th and Miguel Oliveira 20th. Although Quartararo's position in the standings was only a slight improvement, it was what Masuda calls a "jump up" in the rankings.Quartararo, who continues to be the undisputed ace of the series, qualified 10th, sprinted 7th, and finished 15th in the full race in the season opener in Thailand, but he finished 6th in the sprint in the 3rd round in the US, and qualified 3rd and got on the front row in the 4th round in Qatar. This was his first front row since the 11th round of the 2010 season in the Netherlands, a total of 53 races.

Quartararo was on the front row in the fourth round in Qatar. He finished the race in 8th place, and due to a penalty for another rider, his final position was 7th.

"Around the time before the European round (starting from round 5), we were able to stabilize our chassis settings. This was the time when all four riders started to feel positive about the direction of the bike." (Seiichi Takagi, engineer in charge of Pramac Yamaha)From there, Cuartararo took three consecutive pole positions and finally reached the second place podium in the 5th round in Spain. This was the first time he had been on the podium since the Indonesian Grand Prix in 1983, and the first time in 30 rounds and 60 races that he had been on the podium.

In the fifth round in Spain, Quartararo started from pole position and finished on the podium in second place.

Then, starting from a clearly improved qualifying position, Quartararo has had a series of races where he has been in the lead pack early in the race, only to lose positions in the middle or end of the race, or even catch up to the leaders late in the race, even though he is catching up from the back.This was probably due to the maturity of the electronic control settings, and in races where the drivers were able to manage tire life well, they were able to finish in the top positions, and in other races, they lost a lot of positions.Masuda agreed with the question, "In the 25th season, Quartararo in particular chose softer tires, and when he was able to manage them until the end of the race, he was able to finish in the top positions. Masuda agreed : "I think that one of the theories of modern MotoGP is that the riders generally choose softer tires and manage them until the end of the race. In Yamaha, Fabio (Quartararo) is good at managing tires to adapt to changing conditions and conditions, and Alex (Rins) is the type of rider who can ride well when he finds the braking he likes. Alex ( Rins ) is the type of driver who is good at braking to his liking. In the Indonesian GP, Alex qualified 4th and showed the strength to run in the top group during the race, but even in that race, he did not make any major changes to his previous setups, In the end, the 25th season saw Cuartararo take five pole positions, including three in a row, and three podium finishes, including the Spanish GP. Clearly, the 25th season was a bright spot for Yamaha MotoGP, which had been at rock bottom.

2025 Yamaha YZR-M1 with Fabio Cuartararo

2025 Yamaha YZR-M1 (Fabio Quartararo)

"The evolution from the '24 to the '25 model year has been the same each season: engine, chassis, electronics and aerodynamics throughout, especially the engine which also received multiple upgrades during the season. The riders, on the other hand, have been working hard over the past few years to improve their performance. On the rider's side, riders have been complaining about the lack of rear grip all these years, but we continued to make constant improvements in this area, which still remains a challenge. The weak point of the YZR-M1 is still the maximum speed range. Of course, this cannot be solved simply by increasing engine power, so we aimed to increase engine power while at the same time developing a chassis, electronic control, and aerodynamics that would help with initial speed .During the season, development proceeded in the form of adding adjustable parts to the base frame to adjust rigidity in each direction.As for the electronic control, since it was not a matter of making parts, they had to set up "countless combinations of settings" (Masuda). As for aerodynamics, we took advantage of the concession given to manufacturers in the lower rankings andupdated theaerodynamics twice.Anything that can be done, and done quickly, is a stepping stone to revival.In addition, the YZR-M1 had traditionally been equipped with a black frame and black swingarms, but there were many silver-framed YZR-M1s in the race, sparing even the time required for surface treatment of the aluminum frame. In any case, the introduction of improved parts was a race against time.In the 25th season, we raced four machines, and it was very time-consuming to produce improved parts for all four of them. In the past, we did not start races until we had enough parts for all four drivers, but this season, we started races in the order in which they were completed. When we didn't have enough parts for all four riders, we gave them to the riders in the order of their ranking at the time, regardless of whether they were on the factory or Pramac team. There were even times when we would give them to Miller before Rins."

Öhlins carbon forks, OZ Racing wheels, and Brembo carbon rotors + GP4 calipers. It is also equipped with a hole-shot device that keeps the front forks retracted at the start.

The black frame + black swingarm is traditional for the YZR-M1, but improved products were manufactured and surface treatment time was shortened, so the bike was often introduced into actual competition with the aluminum ground surface. The swingarm was stiffened down in some directions to improve rear grip.

Aerodynamic parts were allowed to be updated twice during the season. The winglets on the cowl nose are now this large, and while the shape is similar to the '24 model, the detail bends and sizes differ in detail.

The center cowl also has a complex shape and layered structure to actively utilize aerodynamics, and there are ducts on both sides of the undercowl. This overall width is slimmer on the V4-engine models, although this is an important aerodynamic feature.

The number of fins, shape, size, and connection of the left and right sides of the tail cowl fin, an aerodynamic part known in the GP paddock as the "stegosaurus fin" because it resembles the back fins of a dinosaur, has been the subject of much trial and error over the past two or three seasons.

The left and right steering wheel switches are lined with a wide variety of switches. The basic function is to change the electronic control settings, using the mode change button and the up or down button. In addition, there are front and rear ride-height adjustment levers, a rear brake lever, and a lever to put the transmission in neutral.

The bolts on the swingarm pivot plate, not seen on the '24 model, are used to mount frame stiffness adjustment parts; the '25 model was able to accommodate one basic main frame spec with this adjustment mechanism.

2025 Yamaha YZR-M1 with Fabio Cuartararo

2025 Yamaha YZR-M1 with Fabio Quartararo

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V4 engine vehicles are an unknown quantity.For that reason, the room for growth is limitless.

There is another reason why Yamaha's machine development has been so time-sensitive. That is the development of a machine with a new V4 engine, which has been rumored since the 2012 season.It was around the beginning of the 2012 season that rumors began circulating that Yamaha was developing a new V-4 engine for the MotoGP machine, in addition to the parallel four-cylinder engine that had been used consistently since 2002. In fact, development should have started a little earlier, and although Yamaha did not disclose the start date of development, testing on the test track should have begun early in the 2013 season.The V4 engine car then appeared in the official MotoGP tests during the season, and finally participated in the 16th round at the San Marino GP as a wild card for the first time in actual competition. Because it was still a test car, it was entered in save mode rather than at full power, and the team checked not only results but also durability, safety, and other items that can only be tested in actual competition.

The V4-powered YZR-M1 entered the 16th round in San Marino for the first time and finished in 14th place. The rider is Augusto Fernandez, the YZR-M1's test rider.

"Of course we developed a V4 car, and in the 25th season we did the same as before, updating the 25-year model and developing a new V4 car at the same time. This put a lot of strain on the development team, but that's how big a change Yamaha is aiming for." [/caption]"In addition to the development of the V4 models, we also updated the 25-year models for the 2013 season, as we have done in the past, while simultaneously developing new V4 models. This put a heavy burden on the development team, but that's how big a change Yamaha is aiming for." (Mr. Masuda) Mr. Masuda says that while there are of course changes and differences in performance and characteristics between the parallel 4-cylinder and V4 engines, they are not easily superior or inferior. So, why did Yamaha, which supposedly had no experience with 4-stroke V4 racing engines, decide to steer the course toward V4 engines?Generally speaking, the difference between a parallel four-cylinder and a V4 engine is the cylinder arrangement. In a parallel four-cylinder engine, the cylinders are arranged in a row horizontally, and when they are tilted forward, this leads to a front load, making it easier to achieve front-loaded handling, but the four cylinders in a row increase the overall width of the engine and frame.On the other hand, the V-type four-cylinder has the advantage of having only two front-loaded cylinders, while the overall engine width is a little more than half that of a parallel four-cylinder, but the front-to-back length of the engine is longer than that of a parallel four-cylinder.In fact, the V4 car, which we were able to see only externally this time, was clearly slimmer than the conventional parallel four-cylinder car, as evidenced by its frame width.

The YZR-M1 with a V4 engine, which will be introduced as a 2026 model.

Also a V4 vehicle. Since it is still a prototype, many conventional YZR-M1 parts are used, but the slim overall width, which is unique to the V4 engine, is still clearly visible.

"Our decision to develop a V4 engine and switch from a parallel 4-cylinder engine was not so much based on the characteristics of the engines themselves (parallel 4-cylinder and V4), but rather on the overall package of the vehicle, including the engines, the parallel 4-cylinder and the V4. The engine itself is not the only factor in the performance of the engine. In terms of the performance of the engine alone, the parallel 4-cylinder engine, which we have been developing for a long time, may besuperior, and we do not consider the parallel 4-cylinder engine to be "fully developed". However, the V4 engine is still in the process of development, and its growth potential is unknown because its advantages and disadvantages have not yet been fully grasped. That is where we put our emphasis." (Masuda)What will happen to the absolute security at the front of the machine that has traditionally been said to be the absolute advantage of Yamaha MotoGP machines, with the V4 cars?　Will the V4 engine solve the sense of lack of rear grip, which is currently a major issue?　What about maximum power output?　How aggressive are the tires?　What about fuel consumption?　To all of these questions, Masuda says, "We are still in research and development, and we don't have a clear answer. Of course, the development of a V4 vehicle would be a theoretical exercise if the odds were not in their favor, so the development team must have a clear vision in mind.The only thing that is certain is that one of the advantages of the V4 engine is its slimness. As you know, in today's MotoGP, where aerodynamics is a major concern, slimness is a justification. It means that there is a foundation to improve the issue of the maximum speed range. As for the other advantages and disadvantages, I can only say that we are still learning, but what is certain is that Yamaha will be using V4 bikes from 2014 and that this is in anticipation of the regulation change to 850cc from 2015 onward. attachment_512403" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]

On the left is a prototype of the V4 engine car to be introduced in the 26th season, and on the right is the final spec YZR-M1 Fabio Cuartararo car for the 25th season. [/caption] Yamaha has taken a line through the disastrous '24 season, the '25 season, which showed signs of a comeback, the '26 season, which will see the introduction of a V4 vehicle, and the year '27 and beyond, which will see major regulation changes, including a displacement change to 850cc. It is true that the engine type will be changed from a parallel 4-cylinder to a V4, but it is not as if the development of the parallel 4-cylinder has been completed and the V4 will start running completely from scratch.The introduction of the V4 is not a big risk, but a move to win," said Masuda. -- What is your goal for the debut year of the V4 engine? Mr. Masuda answered emphatically, "Of course, we want to win the championship.Of course, we want to win. The V4 car we are developing has that much potential, and I don't think it's a pipe dream.

Interviewed, from left to right, are Pramac team engineer Seiichi Takagi, YZR-M1 project leader Kazuhiro Masuda, and Monster team engineer Akira Ishii. [/caption] Image gallery (20)

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<Developer Interview> Yamaha MotoGP undergoes a major transformation: Can a V4 engine vehicle save its prestigious name?

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WebikePlus Editorial

Webike+ (Webike Plus) provides daily updates on motorcycle news and information. We cover a wide range of topics, including new models, latest releases, classic bikes, discontinued models, and custom motorcycles. Additionally, we offer detailed information and in-depth reviews of motorcycle gear and custom parts, such as helmets and exhaust systems.

Escape from the bottom.The 25th season, where we saw the light.

V4 engine vehicles are an unknown quantity.For that reason, the room for growth is limitless.

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