«What are we doing?» — Alex Rins’ blunt comment underlines scale of Yamaha frustrations
Alex Rins’ United States Grand Prix weekend was derailed by a series of electronic issues, but it was his unusually candid reaction to them that highlighted the growing frustration within Yamaha. The Japanese manufacturer’s ambitious decision to redesign the M1 around a new V4 engine has left its MotoGP riders in a difficult situation so far in […]
Yamaha ‘has no idea’ how to fix its MotoGP bike
Fabio Quartararo believes Yamaha doesn’t really know how to fix the problems with its troubled V4-powered M1 and become competitive in MotoGP again. Quartararo made that assessment after the Iwata-based brand struggled for performance at the US Grand Prix, where its quartet of riders occupied the last four spots on the timesheets. Pramac rookie Toprak […]
Fabio Quartararo explains how he pulled off Brazilian GP sprint result despite 12km/h deficit
Fabio Quartararo says he had to push to the “absolute limit” to overcome a 12km/h straightline deficit and score an unlikely sixth place in the MotoGP Brazilian Grand Prix sprint. The factory Yamaha rider was one of the star performers of the day at Goiania, taking advantage of a number of crashes in qualifying to […]
Toprak Razgatlioglu’s manager backs Pramac continuity over 2027 Yamaha move
Toprak Razgatlioglu’s influential agent Kenan Sofuoglu says the Turk plans to continue racing at Pramac in MotoGP for a second season, virtually ruling out a possible move up to the factory Yamaha team in 2027 Yamaha announced the signing of three-time World Superbike champion Razgatlioglu on 10 June last year. While the statement ran to more […]
Jerez hosts three days of private MotoGP testing with Michelin and Pirelli tyres
Three of MotoGP’s five manufacturers are holding a three-day test at Jerez this week, with 2027 Pirelli tyres at their disposal. After completing the two official pre-season tests at Sepang (3–5 February) and Buriram (21–22 February), plus the season-opening Thailand Grand Prix at the beginning of March, Aprilia, KTM and Yanaha have sent their test […]
Fabio Quartararo admits he was “too optimistic” about Yamaha V4’s potential
Fabio Quartararo feels he had been “too optimistic” about the potential of Yamaha’s V4-powered M1 in pre-season testing for the 2026 MotoGP season. Quartararo was largely critical of Yamaha’s 2026 contender during the testing phase, claiming that it was up to eight tenths slower over long runs in Buriram last weekend. Those comments encapsulated his […]
2027 decision «helped me mentally» amid Yamaha struggles
Fabio Quartararo says finalising his plans for the 2027 MotoGP season has “helped him mentally” amid his ongoing frustrations with Yamaha. As reported by Motorsport.com, Quartararo has already agreed terms to join Honda for the start of MotoGP’s 850cc era in 2027, although the move is yet to be formally announced. When confirmed, the deal […]
’2026 MotoGP bike not performing badly but engine needs more power’
Yamaha has conceded that its new V4 MotoGP engine is struggling for power after the opening pre-season test of the year at Sepang. The Iwata-based brand was in the headlines for all the wrong seasons in Malaysia, where it finished last among MotoGP’s five manufacturers and more than a second off the outright pace. On […]
Yamaha halts Sepang MotoGP running while investigating M1 engine issue
Yamaha has decided to suspend all on-track activity during the second day of the Sepang MotoGP test while it works to determine the cause of the issue that forced Fabio Quartararo to stop on Tuesday. The Frenchman crashed at Turn 5 of the Malaysian circuit on the opening day of the official test and fractured […]