Fabio Quartararo, the 2021 MotoGP World Champion and Yamaha Factory Racing rider, has emerged as the only competitor consistently challenging Marc Marquez for pole positions during the 2024 season. Unlike Yamaha, whose current M1 bike is powered by an inline four-cylinder engine, its European rivals Ducati, Aprilia, and KTM all utilize V4 engines. Quartararo pointed out that while these manufacturers feature distinctly different chassis designs, they all share the common advantage of a V4 engine, which he believes underlies Yamaha’s weaknesses. He noted specific deficits in grip during braking and corner entry phases—areas that severely hamper Yamaha’s race pace.
Although the initial plan was to introduce the new V4 engine by late 2025 which seemed quite possible especially after we saw the Yamaha V4 testing photos, Yamaha has since delayed its official debut to 2026, contingent upon the new engine demonstrating superior performance to the current one.
Quartararo remains vocal in urging Yamaha to accelerate improvements not only with the forthcoming V4 but also with enhancements to the current M1. He emphasizes the critical need to address the bike’s lack of grip, particularly under braking and during corner entry, which currently limits race competitiveness. Despite renewing his contract with Yamaha through 2026, Quartararo has expressed concern that without clear progress, he risks wasting prime years of his career. Notably, he has not won a race since the German Grand Prix in 2022.
A harsh reminder of Yamaha’s ongoing reliability struggles came at Silverstone in May 2024, when Quartararo was leading comfortably before suffering a mechanical failure that forced him to retire. This incident underscored his predicament—despite his ability to extract exceptional speed in qualifying, race conditions expose weaknesses in grip, power delivery, and aerodynamics, particularly when riding amid a group.
I certainly hope the push to a V4 configuration helps Yamaha find what they are looking for in grip and out right performance.
