Yamaha are doing something ‘pretty crazy’ behind the scenes to improve MotoGP fortunes

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Yamaha are looking to return to the front of the pack in MotoGP after suffering dramatic regression in performance in recent years.

Fabio Quartararo won the MotoGP title in 2021 with Yamaha. Since the Frenchman failed to defend his crown in 2022, the team fell behind the likes of Aprilia and KTM.

The Japanese manufacturer finished fourth in the constructors’ championship with 124 points through Quartararo and Alex Rins. The former registered the team’s best finish of sixth all season.

Yamaha are taking huge strides forward behind the scenes to improve their fortunes, including bringing in Pramac as their satellite team. The Tuscany-based team won the riders’ title with Jorge Martin in 2024.

Lin Jarvis was stunned by how Yamaha ‘miraculously’ secured the Pramac deal as the manufacturer will now have four bikes on the grid instead of two.

Yamaha and Honda can run their full-time riders in testing as part of MotoGP’s concession system. This will prove vital as the manufacturer look to develop the YZR-M1.

Paolo Pavesio outlines Yamaha’s ‘pretty crazy’ simultaneous development of the M1 and V4 bike

But while Yamaha look to improve their current machine, they are making huge progress with their new factory V4 bike. Soon to be track tested for the first time, the manufacturer are hoping it will be ready for 2026 and beyond.

Speaking via The Race MotoGP YouTube channel, managing director Paolo Pavesio outlined the ‘pretty crazy’ feat Yamaha are achieving behind the scenes.

They are developing the M1 and V4 bikes simultaneously, hoping to find performance in both of their projects: “As I said, we are not looking to what we know, we are open to learn something different”, said Pavesio.

“And we’re doing something pretty crazy because we keep developing M1 of today, because we really keep developing. Basically from tomorrow the riders will test [the] new chassis, develop engine, new aero package, new electronics, a lot of new stuff.

“And in parallel we are developing not an engine but a new bike because you cannot fit V4 into M1. When this bike will be ready and what is the target? Of course [it] is to build the fastest bike we can, while we try to make M1 as fast as we can.

“There will be a moment that the new project will overtake [the] current one maybe, that will be the moment that we will be ready to evaluate the wildcards and for sure not in 2025, maybe in the future this is going to be our new technological platform, 2026, 2027”.

How Yamaha gave Fabio Quartararo the ‘confidence’ to stay for 2025

Yamaha’s drop in performance has caused frustrations for their star rider Quartararo. The Frenchman recorded the lowest finish and points tally of his MotoGP career in 2024.

The 25-year-old finished 13th in the standings with 113 points as he struggled to compete at the front. Teammate Rins could only manage 31 points all season.

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

The 2021 champion’s frustrations with his Yamaha machine have been clear to see. Quartararo even demanded a number one sticker be removed as he did not want to live in the past.

Heading into 2025, the Frenchman had been in discussions with Aprilia over a potential deal. However, he opted to stay with Yamaha and help build the exciting project behind the scenes.

Quartararo says technical director Max Bartolini gave him ‘confidence’ again in Yamaha and convinced him to stay on board.