Marco Bezzecchi
Jack Miller of Pramac is desperate to see Yamaha’s engineers returning to Japan over the April break result in a raft of upgrades for when the 2026 season resumes in Spain.
MotoGP has now hit pause for the second time already this season after only three rounds. The current situation in the Middle East saw MotoGP move the Qatar Grand Prix back from its original April 10-12 slot to November 6-8, resulting in a four-week break in the schedule.
The premier class already had a three-week break between rounds one in Thailand and two in Brazil, before heading to the USA for round three last weekend. The 2026 MotoGP season will now resume on April 24-26 at Jerez, as the Spanish Grand Prix begins the European leg.
Miller hopes the break in the calendar gives Yamaha a chance to develop their new-for-2026 V4 YZR-M1, as the Japanese crew have had the worst machine on the grid this year. Factory duo Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins have the best results on the M1 so far, with P14 finishes.
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Jack Miller says Yamaha engineers will return to Japan during MotoGP’s April break
Quartararo finished P14 in the Thailand Grand Prix, while Rins sealed his P14 in the Brazilian Grand Prix. Pramac racer Toprak Razgatlioglu was the lead Yamaha rider in the United States Grand Prix with P15, as he held Miller off by 0.760 seconds to earn his first point in MotoGP.
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The M1’s lack of competitiveness at the start of the Japanese giant’s V4 engine project even saw Quartararo claim Yamaha have “no idea” how to fix their bike, as well as suggesting that he “can’t find anything positive”. Miller can see that Yamaha have “problems” to fix, as well.
Miller is particularly eager to see Yamaha utilise the April break to develop a new swingarm and chassis for the M1, along with improving the V4 engine. He says Yamaha are set to use the pause in action to assemble their troupes in Japan and work on updates to use in Spain.
“We know our problems,” Miller said, via quotes by SPEEDWEEK. “The bike is slow. We need to improve, we need more feel for the front wheel [and] more grip.
“We’re heading back to Europe now, [and] we have a three-week break. Hopefully, we’ll get updates for Jerez. We definitely need a new swingarm and a new chassis. Work is underway on that, as well as on adjustments to the engine.”
“Probably not before Jerez,” Miller added about the prospect of Yamaha holding any private tests before the Spanish GP.
“Many engineers are now returning to Japan, including our Italian colleagues, to continue their work and push forward as much as possible. These are tough times. The championship waits for no one, so we have to seize every opportunity and keep pushing.”
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Improving their V4 engine is the first priority for Yamaha, as the engine leaves Miller et al at a major disadvantage compared to their rivals. Quartararo and Rins both set the highest top speed on the V4 M1 at COTA during the Sprint, but they ranked 18th and 19th all weekend.
Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi set the highest top speed across the United States Grand Prix in the Sprint at 353.9kmh (219mph), compared to Quartararo and Rins’ 345.8kmh (214.8mph). Fabio Di Giannantonio of VR46 had the best top speed on a Ducati at 352.7kmh (219.1mph).
But, like Miller notes, Yamaha also need to improve the swingarm and chassis on the M1, so the bike turns better, manages the power delivery smoother and is also more efficient under braking. It is not only on the straights that the Yamaha riders are being left behind this term.
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