Jorge Lorenzo issues ‘strange’ reaction as Yamaha confirm they will use V4 MotoGP engine in 2026

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Yamaha are moving ahead with plans to introduce the V4 engine across all of their bikes for the 2026 MotoGP season.

Tuesday’s post-season test in Valencia is a critical point for them to understand how much work they have to do over the winter.

Superstar rider Fabio Quartararo has already warned them that they must bring improvements to the bike, or risk losing his services.

It puts Yamaha in a tricky spot and under some pressure, but having failed to produce much of note over the last three MotoGP campaigns, it feels unlikely.

Jack Miller wants ’25 horsepower’ extra from the V4, if they want to be competing for solid positions next season. This year was a real struggle for him down at Pramac.

In a stark warning, Quartararo says he will ‘make a change’ if the V4 fails to live up to the standard he expects of it.

READ MORE: Augusto Fernandez desperately must stop crashing Yamaha’s V4 bike after ‘confidence’ admission

Jorge Lorenzo calls Yamaha’s decision to adopt V4 engine fully for 2026 ‘strange’

Yamaha want to spend the first half of 2026 on ‘development’, before they really start to focus on trying to score some results with the V4.

The only problem is that the MotoGP rider market might have fully transpired by then, leaving them a bit stuck in the mud.

Toprak Razgatlioglu knows where the Yamaha must ‘improve’ and he has barely spent any time on their bike. The positive of their Wildcard appearances in 2025 is knowing what must be attacked first.

But, three-time champion Jorge Lorenzo, who won his titles with them, still finds the decision to abandon the inline-four ‘strange’, given their knowledge with it.

“It’s strange because they have a lot of experience with the inline four,” he said on TNT Sports. “They are specialised in that. It’s why, probably, they never got the most powerful engine, because the inline four was difficult to get the most [out of] in terms of power.

“Now, they will have the possibility to fight with the other factories for the top speed. They are clearly in a disadvantage in terms of experience of engines, so it will not be an easy job.”

READ MORE: Jack Miller concedes where he was ‘suffering’ with Yamaha’s bike at the Portugal Grand Prix

Paolo Pavesio shares why Yamaha’s switch to the V4 engine was a ‘difficult decision’

Quartararo might have made up his mind about Yamaha already, as there is a growing sense that he will depart the team in the future.

Where he will go is unknown, but any decision would be based on a lack of belief in the current Yamaha project, as well as the V4.

Team boss Paolo Pavesio just revealed why switching to the V4 so soon was such a ‘difficult decision’ for the team ahead of 2026.

“This was a difficult decision for us,” he told SPEEDWEEK. “If we had to race tomorrow, there’s no guarantee the V4 would be faster. But – this is our future.

“The engine has more potential, and we’re confident we can make some improvements in the short term, from now until the test in Sepang in February. And that, in turn, is extremely important in preparation for 2027.”