Yamaha changed their mind about their V4 engine after they saw Fabio Quartararo’s ‘body language’

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Fabio Quartararo is desperate to see changes at Yamaha after a poor return to MotoGP after the summer break.

The Frenchman has produced some standout performances on his YZR-M1 in 2025, achieving four pole positions, including three in a row from Jerez to Silverstone. Quartararo should have won the British GP, but a ride height device failure caused a heartbreaking DNF.

The 2021 MotoGP champion has only converted one of those four poles into a podium, finishing second at Jerez. The British GP was the last time that Yamaha have truly fought at the front of the field, as they continue to lack the pace of the Ducatis.

Quartararo’s P4 at Sachsenring has proved to be a one-off result as Yamaha have dropped off dramatically in performance since the summer break. His 15th-place finish at the Red Bull Ring was the Japanese outfit’s best result, finishing over 25 seconds behind winner Marc Marquez.

He was 10th at Balaton Park last time out, but was still 15 seconds behind Marquez, leaving Quartararo despondent. Paolo Pavesio admits Yamaha are not where they need to be, which explains why they have made a major change with the V4 project.

Yamaha needed to bring forward the V4 engine after seeing that Fabio Quartararo looked ‘defeated’

Yamaha had planned to introduce their new V4 engine in 2026. However, the manufacturer have brought the project forward, as test rider Augusto Fernandez will use it as a wildcard entry at Misano next weekend.

As journalist Neil Morrison notes, the reason Yamaha are trialling the V4 early is due to Quartararo’s ‘body language in recent months. He has been looking ‘defeated’ amid the team’s drop in performance, and they sensed that they needed to lift his spirits.

“I mean, the start of the year was mixed, then we got back to Europe and there was this big surge in positivity,” said Morrison via the Paddock Pass Podcast.

“Fabio Quartararo had that run of three amazing pole positions on the bounce, nearly won the British Grand Prix and it seemed like: ‘Wow, Yamaha really could be back’.

“And there were even questions at that time like, they were going to have a bit of a difficult decision on their hands developing this V4, because the inline-4 still looks like it could be competitive.

“But the momentum of the inline-4 project really seems to have just fizzled out in the last couple of rounds.

“I think Fabio’s only had two top sixes since the British Grand Prix when things went awry so spectacularly. And just his body language in the last two-three months has been quite negative, defeated you could even say.

“And I feel that Yamaha in some way senses this and senses that he needs a bit of a G-up and I think that this is maybe one of the strategies behind bringing this forward.”

READ MORE: Everything to know about Fabio Quartararo from net worth to career stats

Yamaha’s V4 engine needs to be a success if they want to keep Fabio Quartararo beyond 2026

Quartararo’s outburst at Balaton Park hints that Yamaha’s resources are not up to scratch. Early indications suggest that the V4 is currently slower than the M1.

While that is to be expected, given it is a new project still in development, Yamaha’s star rider will be keen to see progress. Quartararo is contracted until 2026, but the manufacturer will need to show him that they can be competitive next season.

Quartararo has threatened Yamaha that he could leave if he sees that the V4 is not competitive in the last two or three races of 2026. He is losing patience with the Iwata outfit, and he will not be shy of suitors if he were to become available.

Ducati have already chosen Quartararo as their ‘preferred option’ for 2027, as Francesco Bagnaia struggles to perform on the GP25 next to Marquez. Making a move may be difficult, however, as Dorna think it is ‘essential’ that Quartararo stays at Yamaha to keep a world champion at every factory.