Yamaha have already hit an ‘extreme’ limit with the V4 after Augusto Fernandez’s disappointing Malaysian GP

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Time is running out for Yamaha to prove to Fabio Quartararo that the V4 engine is a genuine step forward and can win them races.

They just ran a wildcard entry at the Malaysian Grand Prix, which saw Augusto Fernandez struggle on his way to last place among the riders who faced no issues. Six weeks on from racing with the new engine for the first time in Misano, it doesn’t appear that they have made much progress.

Yamaha have hedged their bets on the V4, and are relying on it being a considerable step in the right direction to be remotely competitive next year. With MotoGP rule changes the year after, they won’t take much pain, but they have already been uncompetitive for too long.

Yamaha have shot themselves in the foot by giving their superstar a taste of the new engine. It could make any decision to leave much easier. Quartararo was frustrated with a Fernandez crash in Sepang, and was clearly disappointed to see the bike go down.

READ MORE: Jack Miller just revealed where Yamaha must desperately improve with the V4 if they want to compete in 2026

Yamaha have hit an ‘extreme’ limit with the V4 engine’s swing arm pivot already

Fernandez shared Yamaha’s only positive after Malaysia, and believes that already knowing where the V4 has weaknesses can be an advantage to them. The question is whether they have enough time to properly address those woes before the start of the 2026 season.

Gavin Emmett was concerned by the V4’s ride height and believes that next year could end up being very long for Quartararo if the issues with the new engine are not ironed out. It will only force him into leaving them.

Mat Oxley has spotted another issue with the V4 on the Oxley Bom Podcast, though, and believes that the swing arm pivot is already at the ‘extreme’ limit of where it can be adjusted. It leaves no wiggle room, which is a concerning development.

“This is their second race with the V4, and they don’t seem to have made any real progress since Misano,” he said. “I was really surprised when he told us on Friday that they hadn’t been testing between Misano and here. To me, if you’ve done your first race, you’ve learned lots of stuff.

“So, let’s go and try it in a test, on our own, and then see what we can produce for Sepang. The big thing, which is something that you noticed straight away at Misano, was that the swing arm pivot is right at the bottom of its travel, of its setting.

“When you start with a new bike, big things like that should be roundabout in the middle. You know what I mean? So that you’ve got, you can go this way or that way. So they’re already at one extreme of a very vital, important geometry traction factor.”

READ MORE: Fabio Quartararo shares what he’s ‘thinking internally’ about his Yamaha future as contract decision looms

Fabio Quartararo has already warned Yamaha that they’re on their last chance

It has been three years since Quartararo last won a race, while he was attempting to defend his MotoGP title against Francesco Bagnaia in 2022.

Since then, he has embraced being in the midfield and adjusted well to having a bike which isn’t really capable of doing much.

Without him, Yamaha would have endured a miserable season. Alex Rins has failed to do much on the second bike, and their satellite Pramac team are glued to the bottom of the teams’ standings.

Quartararo’s pressure forced Yamaha to run Fernandez in Malaysia. He wants the project to move forward, and to do so, they need data. The results are concerning, though, as the clock continues to tick.