Yamaha’s New V4 Engine Marks a Bold Step Forward After Promising MotoGP Misano Test
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| Yamaha’s New V4 Engine Marks a Bold Step Forward After Promising MotoGP Misano Test. |
Yamaha is once again in the spotlight after unveiling its brand-new V4 engine, which was used by test rider Augusto Fernandez during the MotoGP Misano round. The new power unit reportedly went through numerous development stages before reaching the specification used in the race.
According to Yamaha’s Technical Director Max Bartolini, the V4 project is far from a one-off experiment. He emphasized that the development process will continue every time the all-new bike hits the track.
“We made many prototypes before arriving at this actual one,” Bartolini said. “Exactly how many versions? Let’s just say it’s a good number.”
He added that the engine is still under active development. “Probably every wild-card, every test, the engine will be different again. Then we’ll see what happens next year.”
Promising Debut at Misano
Despite some early technical issues, Augusto Fernandez showed competitive pace throughout practice sessions at Misano and managed to finish 14th in the San Marino Grand Prix, scoring valuable points.
“It was the first 27 laps in race pace for the bike, and we have a lot of work to do to understand it,” said Fernandez. “It seems like the performance window is very narrow — you can have a really good feeling or a really bad one. But when you check our fastest lap of the race, it’s under one second off Fabio’s pace. So we’ve got some positives.”
Fernandez did have to deal with a few “fake” fuel warnings on his dashboard, but overall, Yamaha considered the debut a solid step forward.
Dovizioso Praises Braking and Grip
Fellow Yamaha test rider Andrea Dovizioso highlighted two major strengths of the new V4 engine: braking and grip.
“Right away, the way you can brake with this V4 bike felt different, and for me, it’s much better,” Dovizioso explained. “We were also focused on the grip — how to find and manage it — and that’s an area where this bike has great potential.”
Quartararo Still Not Impressed
Not all Yamaha riders were convinced, however. Former world champion Fabio Quartararo gave a rather harsh verdict after testing the bike in the post-race session. “I don’t see any progress in the areas we need,” he said.
Meanwhile, Alex Rins and Pramac’s Jack Miller offered more positive feedback, having lapped between 0.6 and 0.9 seconds slower than their current Inline-4-powered bikes on the same day.
Part of that gap is due to Yamaha’s conservative engine setup. Fernandez was the slowest rider through the speed trap during the race, while Quartararo sat at the bottom of the charts in Monday’s test.
Yamaha Yet to Confirm 2026 Racing Plans
So far, Yamaha hasn’t officially confirmed whether the V4 will be raced next season, though most expect it to make its full debut at the 2026 season opener in Buriram, Thailand.
There are also rumors of an 850cc version being developed for 2027 to meet MotoGP’s new technical regulations.
“As with everyone, we have to follow what the championship rules require,” Dovizioso said. “I think this prototype is a good base for what the current MotoGP tires and regulations demand.”
Yamaha’s Road Back to the Top
Yamaha Racing Managing Director Paolo Pavesio believes that switching to a V4 configuration is a crucial step to bring the manufacturer back in line with rivals like Ducati, KTM, and Honda.
“The track will judge the quality of our work,” Pavesio stated. “But as Dovi said, MotoGP today clearly moves in one direction — this kind of V4 configuration to fully exploit the rules. So at least with the V4, we’ll be equal with other manufacturers.”
He continued, “We have a lot of experience in designing other parts of the bike, and we’ll use that to our advantage. We’ll work closely with our two factory teams and four factory riders to refine the bike.”
With this new chapter, Yamaha seems ready to leave behind its traditional Inline-4 layout and embrace a major transformation. The move to V4 is not only a technical upgrade but also a clear statement of intent — Yamaha is determined to reclaim its place among MotoGP’s elite.
