Everything you need to know about the Yamaha MotoGP team including current riders and management

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Yamaha are the second-most successful team in the history of Grand Prix motorcycle racing. Only Honda have won more championships than their rival Japanese manufacturer.

Yamaha will harbour long-term ambitions of matching Honda for riders’ titles (currently 16 vs 19) and teams’ titles (seven vs 10). The gap is bigger for constructors’ crowns (14 vs 25), but they still have more than double the trophies of third-place Ducati (six).

They became synonymous with the great Valentino Rossi, helping him win four of his seven premier-class championships between 2004 and 2009. They also enjoyed success with Jorge Lorenzo, and most recently, Fabio Quartararo.

But what is the story behind Yamaha in MotoGP and the premier class of world championship motorcycle racing? MotoGP News takes a look at all you need to know about Yamaha…

Yamaha MotoGP team name

Yamaha’s factory squad is officially known as Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing. The energy drink company has been the title sponsor since 2019.

They’ve been a partner for more than a decade, having first appeared on the bikes in 2013. In 2022, they signed a multi-year extension to their deal.

Between 2014 and 2018, the team was known as Movistar Yamaha amid an agreement with the Spanish-language broadcaster and telecommunications company. They have also had deals with Fiat and tobacco brands Gauloises, Fortuna and Marlboro.

Yamaha MotoGP founding year

The Yamaha factory team entered Grand Prix motorcycle racing in 1999. They already supported Yamaha Team Rainey, who were named after the three-time premier-class champion Wayne Rainey.

When the American stepped away, they formed a fully-fledged manufacturer outfit. The management set up shop in the Netherlands, taking charge of everything except the technical department.

In 2005, the Dutch-based contingent relocated to Italy. This allowed the team to work as one united force.

Yamaha current MotoGP riders

Yamaha currently employ Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins as their full-time race riders in the 2025 MotoGP season. Quartararo started his MotoGP career with satellite outfit Petronas Yamaha SRT before graduating to the factory squad in 2021.

Rins, formerly of Suzuki, joined from LCR Honda for the 2024 campaign. Quartararo signed a new deal in April 2024, while the team announced in July that Rins would stay for a second season.

Yamaha current MotoGP team manager and leadership hierarchy

Yamaha announced in September that Managing Director Lin Jarvis would step down after 26 years. Paolo Pavesio takes over, with group leader Kazuhiro Masuda, technical director Massimo Bartolini and team director Massimo Meregalli working under him.

Yamaha are a MotoGP constructor

Yamaha are one of five constructors in the MotoGP world championship, alongside Honda, Ducati, KTM and Aprilia. They will rekindle their relationship with the Pramac team for 2025 after the satellite squad ended their two-decade association with Ducati.

Which bike does Yamaha run in the 2025 MotoGP season?

Yamaha will run the latest specification of their factory-spec YZR-M1 bikes through the 2025 MotoGP season. The YZR-M1 made its debut back in 2002 and has featured regular updates since, including for 2025 with Yamaha expected to drop their traditional inline-four-cylinder engine for a V4 as the brand strives to overcome their bike’s limited straight-line top speed.

Yamaha MotoGP riders’ championships

Yamaha won six titles in nine seasons between 2004 and 2012 thanks to Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo. They then endured a near-decade drought before Fabio Quartararo’s 2021 triumph.

2004 MotoGP: Valentino Rossi (304 points)

2005 MotoGP: Valentino Rossi (367 points)

2008 MotoGP: Valentino Rossi (373 points)

2009 MotoGP: Valentino Rossi (306 points)

2010 MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo (383 points)

2012 MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo (350 points)

2021 MotoGP: Fabio Quartararo (278 points)

Yamaha MotoGP teams’ championships

Even though Lorenzo and Quartararo were riders’ champions, Yamaha missed out on the 2012 and 2021 titles to Honda and Ducati respectively. However, they denied Marquez and Honda a clean sweep in 2016.

2004 MotoGP – 421 points: Valentino Rossi (304 points) and Carlos Checa (117 points)

2005 MotoGP – 546 points: Valentino Rossi (367 points) and Colin Edwards (179 points)

2008 MotoGP – 563 points: Valentino Rossi (373 points) and Jorge Lorenzo (190 points)

2009 MotoGP – 567 points: Valentino Rossi (306 points) and Jorge Lorenzo (261 points)

2010 MotoGP – 617 points: Jorge Lorenzo (383 points), Valentino Rossi (233 points) and Wataru Yoshikawa (one point)

2015 MotoGP – 655 points: Jorge Lorenzo (330 points) and Valentino Rossi (325 points)

2016 MotoGP – 482 points: Valentino Rossi (249 points) and Jorge Lorenzo (233 points)

Yamaha MotoGP constructors’ championships

Nine of Yamaha’s 14 constructors’ titles to date came in the FIM Road Racing World Championship, the forerunner to MotoGP. Only the lead rider’s points at each affiliated team count towards the final total.

2005 MotoGP – 381 points: Yamaha teams – Yamaha and Fortuna

2008 MotoGP – 402 points: Yamaha teams – Yamaha and Tech3

2009 MotoGP – 385 points: Yamaha teams – Yamaha, Tech3 and Sterilgarda

2010 MotoGP – 404 points: Yamaha teams – Yamaha and Tech3

2015 MotoGP – 407 points: Yamaha teams – Yamaha and Tech3

Yamaha factory base

The Yamaha MotoGP team is based are Gerno di Lesmo in Italy. This is close to Monza, home of one of the most iconic circuits on the Formula 1 calendar.

The facility was redeveloped in 2008 to house all of the team’s departments, and there were further updates in 2022. Japan-based Yamaha engineers are also involved in the project.

Yamaha factory address

Yamaha Factory Racing: Via Tinelli 67/69, Gerno di Lesmo, Italy