Yamaha told the ‘very tough’ next step with V4 engine that will need ‘massive’ investment

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Yamaha have taken a big step towards returning to the front of MotoGP at Misano this weekend, with the 2025 San Marino Grand Prix the race debut of their new V4 engine.

Test rider Augusto Fernandez is making a wildcard appearance at Misano, as Yamaha look to collect vital data for the further development of their V4 engine. The Japanese outfit are the final MotoGP team to make the switch to a V4 engine, with Yamaha still racing an inline four.

Yamaha’s works riders cannot race a V4 bike in 2025 without being disqualified, as the Iwata squad have already homologated their two permitted fairings for the season. So, their focus is on preparing the latest iteration of the YZR-M1 for its competitive debut in the 2026 term.

Bosses at Yamaha are committed to developing a V4 engine alongside designing their 850cc bike for MotoGP’s 2027 regulations, as they strive to return to the top. Fabio Quartararo won Yamaha’s last riders’ title in 2021, and also their last Grand Prix win at the 2022 German GP.

It will be ‘very tough’ for Yamaha to find the final half-second with their V4 engine

Quartararo tested Yamaha’s V4 in Barcelona on Monday, but most of the development work falls on their test riders. Fernandez is wildcarding the V4-engined Yamaha M1 at Misano this weekend, while Andrea Dovizioso feels Yamaha’s V4 bike behaves differently under braking.

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

It is a major project for the Iwata natives after seeing their rivals, especially Ducati and KTM, frequently destroy them on most straights. But Sylvain Guintoli warns Yamaha that it will be “very tough” and also expensive to unlock the final half-second possible with the V4 engine.

Guintoli said on TNT Sports 2 (13/09, 07:19): “This is very encouraging for Yamaha and for the project. I think if you are a Yamaha rider, or you’re part of that project, you’ll be looking at this and thinking, ‘We’re not far [away]’.

“We know that [the] last half-second is very tough. This is where the investment has to be massive. It’s where everything goes, in that last half-second. But they’re not far away.

“And for a new project like this, you’ve got to remember [that] everything is different on that bike. Yeah, it’s a very good start.”

‘Clear evidence’ of the differences between Yamaha’s V4 and inline four bikes at Misano

Yamaha have enjoyed a lot of attention at the San Marino GP this weekend, with Fernandez giving the V4-engined M1 its race debut at Misano. Mat Oxley has “never” seen a swingarm pivot area as flexible as on Yamaha’s V4 bike, on which Fernandez qualified P22 on Saturday.

Only LCR Honda rider Somkiat Chantra lapped slower than Fernandez in Q1 at Misano, with a 1:32.390 compared to a 1:31.812. But Fernandez was only 0.568s slower than Alex Rins in P18 with his factory inline four Yamaha M1, while Quartararo qualified P3 with his 1:30.228.

READ MORE: All to know about the San Marino Grand Prix at Misano, from history to stats

The mass damper on Yamaha’s V4 M1 at Misano also caught Michael Laverty’s attention, as well as the sound of their new engine. He has also noticed an increase in the aerodynamics on the rear of Fernandez’s V4 M1 compared to the Yamahas that Quartararo et al are racing.

Laverty said on TNT Sports 2: “Obviously, this V4, it’s going to be new, the latest technology that Yamaha have available. The tuned mass damper, I think that’s fairly clear evidence that they have these sensors, that’s pretty clear that that’s a new evolution.

“The seat unit itself looks pretty similar to the current version, but much heavier in terms of the aerodynamic body. They’ve always had to go a little bit lighter on the aerodynamics, as they didn’t have the brute horsepower.

“But, now, this V4 has a more centralised crankshaft that can take a lot more load, and a lot more revs, and a lot more energy. So, it gives more horsepower…

“It’s definitely changed the character, it sounds a little bit more aggressive. The Yamaha M1 engine always sounded a little bit softer, a little bit docile compared to the V4s. This sounds like it’s got some punch.”