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| Yamaha Urged to Sign New Riders to Solve MotoGP Depth Crisis. |
Yamaha's MotoGP factory team has been urged to make new rider signings to address a long-standing issue—lack of team depth. Despite having star rider Fabio Quartararo, currently the highest-paid on the grid, the team struggles to find competitive support for him on track.
MotoGP analyst Lewis Duncan shared on the Crash MotoGP podcast that Yamaha’s biggest challenge is not machinery, but the lack of fast teammates. “The rest of the Yamaha lineup isn’t strong enough. Alex Rins hasn’t been quick, Jack Miller hasn’t performed since the start of the season, and Miguel Oliveira, even accounting for injuries, has lost his edge,” Duncan explained.
The problem becomes evident when comparing to Ducati, who currently fields four riders in the top five of the standings. KTM has strong depth with Vinales and rookie Pedro Acosta. Aprilia was supposed to field Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi. In contrast, Yamaha only has Quartararo fighting at the front, alone.
This solo effort isn't sustainable. As Duncan pointed out, a second rider can provide essential race support — battling rivals, covering strategy gaps, and capitalizing on any slip-ups from the leader.
Yamaha is already investing heavily. Quartararo is signed until the end of 2026, and they have secured Toprak Razgatlioglu for their new Pramac satellite team in 2025. But the second rider in that team remains uncertain.
“If Fabio stays, it’ll likely be on an even higher salary. That leaves less budget for securing a strong second rider,” Duncan added. “It’s a Catch-22. But if they don’t fix the depth, they’ll face even more problems.”
This isn't a new issue for Yamaha. Even during the Valentino Rossi era, prior to Jorge Lorenzo’s rise, the team lacked supporting firepower. The last time Yamaha had a balanced squad was back in 2019 with Rossi, Fabio, and a peak-form Morbidelli.
Now, with Rins' performance in question and no clear name beside Razgatlioglu, Yamaha must act fast. Fabio can’t keep fighting alone — and in modern MotoGP, teamwork wins championships.
