Yamaha already facing one ‘massive’ challenge ahead of MotoGP shakedown in Malaysia

Add as preferred source on Google

Yamaha has been a little behind the MotoGP curve in recent times and their performance has taken a hit because of it.

For 2025 they have decided that enough is enough, and they will finally introduce a V4 engine in line with what their competitors at Ducati, Aprilia and KTM have been running.

It means that Yamaha is leaving behind its signature inline four to get ahead on their V4 project before the start of the new regulations for 2027.

A new 850cc engine will be part of the new rules, down from the 1000cc which is run now. The more they can learn before then, the better position they will be in to perform from race one in 2027.

Jack Miller admitted Yamaha were wrong about a Ducati device for ride height that they expected would be banned, but they will have to wait until the new rules for that change to come in.

Investing a lot of money in such an upgrade wouldn’t make much sense with two seasons of racing to go, but their new partnership with Pramac Racing should aid their development in other areas.

Yamaha faces ‘massive’ MotoGP challenge to develop two engines at once

Fabio Quartararo carried Yamaha’s efforts to 13th in the championship last year, but the constructor was comfortably the fourth-best of the five all year.

Alex Rins admitted he cannot match Quartararo because they cannot use the same setup. He’s still adjusting to his surroundings after spending his first year with the team in 2024.

The opening tests of the year in early February at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia won’t be about speed though.

READ MORE: Luca Marini’s assertive Yamaha theory for Alex Rins’ career-worst season

1985 Isle of Man TT winner Mat Oxley shared his hopes that they would bring their new engine along to the test but also cited the difficulties of developing two engines at once.

“I’m hoping that when we turn up at [the] Sepang tests, I’m hoping that they’ve got the V4 there and they won’t have only the V4, they’ll have the inline-four [too],” he said.

“The kind of scale of the challenge that Yamaha faces now is massive. They’ve got to continue to develop the inline-four whilst developing the V4.”

When will Yamaha start to use their V4 engine properly in MotoGP?

Yamaha confirmed that they were busy at work developing a V4 engine last September, running bench tests with their new machine.

Since Suzuki stepped away from the sport at the end of the 2022 season, they had been the only manufacturer left running an inline-four engine.

Ex-boss Lin Jarvis confirmed that their intention is only to implement their new engine when it is faster than their current one.

READ MORE: Pramac chief’s verdict on Jorge Martin leaving for Aprilia as MotoGP champion

It means they also have an open mind for 2027, and that either engine could be adopted for the new set of regulations.

They have drivers with V4 experience in their ranks now. Miller and Miguel Oliveira at Pramac and Rins at their factory team are all prepared to give feedback compared to what they have run before and it could hand them a big advantage.