‘Why do people think Yamaha isn’t doing a great job with its V4 project?’

Pramac Yamaha boss Gino Borsoi has come out in defence of the Japanese manufacturer’s efforts with its ongoing V4 project. 

The Italian’s comments during the MotoGP test on Monday are in sharp contrast to those we are accustomed to hearing from the Yamaha’s frustrated riders, particularly factory man Fabio Quartararo.

Yamaha was the last MotoGP factory to turn to a V4 engine. This hit the race track for the first time last season, running selected events parallel to its established but struggling inline-four machine.

Yamaha then committed fully to the V4 for its MotoGP race programme this season. 2026 has been a battle for the Iwata factory, however, with both the factory and Pramac bikes operating around the fringes of the points at best.

While there has been no shortage of criticism, the man at the helm of Yamaha’s satellite team said he couldn’t comprehend that given the bigger picture.

«I don’t understand why people think Yamaha is not doing a great job at the moment,» the former racer told Italian media.

«Honestly, for me, it’s better than I imagined. Because this is a completely new bike. The other companies have had a V4, which is obviously a complete bike, for several years. And they are [just] trying to improve the details. 

«We are an open construction site. Every time we go to the track, we discover things… every time you understand that you made a mistake, you move forward.

«This bike actually started to ride three months ago in Malaysia,» he said, referring to the more recent version first seen in the pre-season tests. «You can’t expect this bike to be at the same level as the other V4s when [the others] are putting the details in place.»

Borsoi reiterated that comparing Yamaha with its V4 rivals made no sense.

«We are trying to make a project work. There are two philosophies. Two completely different levels.

«If you consider that we are a second, a second and a half, from those who have always played in the world championship [with the V4] and have brought [their bikes] to the maximum expression, to me it seems a great job.»

Borsoi also had a firm answer for any suggestions that Yamaha was wasting its time on this bike as next season’s new regulations loom. Most significantly, engine capacity in 2027 will be reduced from 1000cc to 850cc.

«Obviously, we have to keep in mind that next year’s bike won’t be very different from what we have now.

«It’s the base of the 2027 project. I don’t think it will change much, from what I know. So for us, it’s very important that this bike starts working, in order to be ready for 2027.»

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— The Motorsport.com Team