MotoGP fans all notice the same thing after Yamaha unveil their V4-engined bike at Misano

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Yamaha has unveiled their V4-powered MotoGP prototype that they are hoping is the answer to the performance issues they have experienced in recent years.

Fabio Quartararo graced Yamaha’s new machinery in Barcelona following the conclusion of the race weekend in a behind-the-scenes test to see how well it worked out of the factory.

The new engine was expected to be built in time for the 2026 MotoGP season. However, Yamaha brought the date forward for the V4 following Quartararo’s public frustrations with the performance of their current straight-four engine.

Despite the early introduction of the bike, the Frenchman won’t be allowed to use it on a race weekend due to Yamaha already using their two fairing homologation updates for the riders that are being retained for the 2026 season.

The team risks a disqualification from the championship, otherwise.

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

MotoGP fans think the new Yamaha bike looks extremely similar to Ducati’s GP25

Following the unveiling of the new M1 at Misano ahead of the San Marino Grand Prix, MotoGP fans took to social media to discuss the team’s new machinery. Instantly, fans thought the same thing, in that the bike looked very similar to Ducati’s current spec GP25.

“The most Ducati Yamaha I’ve ever seen!” said one user on Instagram. Another user, highlighting Ducati’s dominance in recent years, said, “Everything will be Ducati in time,” under the same post.

One fan creatively combined the two names of the constructor in response to the unveiling on Instagram, dubbing the new M1 a “Yamacati (Yamaha+Ducati).”

Another fan wrote, “I mean, it’s a copy and paste of the Ducati, isn’t it?!” in response to the announcement on X, with another fan commenting, “Literally looks like a Ducati.”

The GP25 has won 25 out of the 30 races so far this season, so Yamaha engineers won’t care too much about the look of the bike if it is capable of achieving the same results as the Italian constructor.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Yamaha from the MotoGP team’s riders to hierarchy

Jack Miller is ‘really excited’ to find out how the V4 M1 compares to the rest of the MotoGP grid

Speaking to the media ahead of the race weekend in Misano, Pramac’s Jack Miller was asked about his thoughts ahead of the bike’s debut with wildcard rider Augusto Fernandez at the San Marino circuit.

“It’s really, really, really exciting,” Miller said. “Especially for the future of the project. It’s a really crucial weekend for us.

“Hopefully, Augusto can have a problem-free weekend. With a brand new project as always, a race weekend is so different to a test day.

“Everything’s scrutinised, everything’s on time, you’ve got to react quickly throughout the sessions. So I’m looking forward to watching how the weekend plays out, and I’ve got my fingers crossed for them.”

The fact that Yamaha were building a bike housing a V4 engine may have been the reason that the Australian rider still has a seat at the team in the upcoming season.

Quartararo testified to Miller’s experience with the same engine layout at different teams throughout his career, something that no other rider in the stable has in their locker.