Mat Oxley stunned by completely ‘rammed’ Yamaha garage at Jerez, ‘like they were having a party’

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Yamaha are scrambling to find improvements in 2026 after a torrid start to the season, and they were seen doing frantic work at the Jerez test.

After four rounds, Fabio Quartararo has finished no higher than P14 as the V4 engine proves to be desperately uncompetitive. Yamaha knew they would be in for a tough start to the year as they only kick-started the new project in 2025.

While the Iwata outfit are optimistic about the future, Quartararo disagrees with Yamaha as he says the project is lacking motivation. So much so that Quartararo even said he has lost the love for riding as he continuously vents his anger about the bike to the media.

Have Aprilia proven they are still the team to beat despite Alex Marquez winning the Spanish GP on a Ducati? 🤔

Aprilia's bikes locked out the top three in MotoGP's test at Jerez 💨

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After another tough weekend at the Spanish Grand Prix, the Jerez test gave Yamaha the chance to test new components and find some time. The time sheet would suggest things were positive, as Quartararo was P7, just under five tenths behind pacesetter, Ai Ogura.

However, the next-fastest Yamaha, Jack Miller, was down in P17, with Toprak Razgatlioglu and Alex Rins only beating Aprilia test rider Lorenzo Savadori. It is clear that Yamaha still have a lot of work to do, and Mat Oxley saw that first-hand in the garage.

Mat Oxley has never seen the Yamaha garage so ‘rammed’ at Jerez test

Oxley and colleague Peter Bom discussed Yamaha’s struggles on the Oxley Bom MotoGP Podcast. The former explained the issues they were facing during the test.

“They had a mechanical problem again. One bike, I mean, two bikes came back, one from a crash, one with something stopped for some reason,” said Bom.

“Didn’t seem to be a full panic, but anyway, somewhere at the back of the exhaust, they started to work and then it was out again. But still, little things that cost you the track time that they need so much over there.”

Oxley then shared the work that was going on in the garage: “It would be nice to see them. I mean, I was there outside the garage early on. I just don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people in a factory garage. It was just rammed. It was like they were having a party.

“But I mean, I would love to see them because they’re working their a—- off without a doubt. They’re not playing around and it would be nice to see their work being rewarded a bit. So, maybe we’ll go to Le Mans and there’ll be a little bit less than a second off.”

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

Peter Bom notes Fabio Quartararo, Jack Miller and Alex Rins conversation in Yamaha garage at Jerez test

Razgatlioglu and Quartararo are losing enjoyment at Yamaha as their issues with the V4 engine and the bike continue. However, they are striving to find improvements, as the Frenchman, Miller and Rins were seen conversing in the Yamaha garage.

Bom added: “Gino Borsoi, he was also talking to us. He keeps on saying, ‘Yeah well, we started with a blank sheet’. Well, after a year, it’s no longer a blank sheet for me. It should be somewhere.

“But I really want them to speed up. Now while I’m thinking of it, they must have had something quite special this morning because Fabio went to Jack after Jack came in with the bike and wanted to speak with him about something that was on the bike,

“Then Rins joined the conversation. There was something that they wanted to share their opinions about.”