Yamaha is taking a big gamble. After being the last MotoGP manufacturer to bet on an inline four-cylinder engine for a long time, the brand with the three tuning forks has finally decided to switch to a V4 engine, a solution that has become essential to close the gap with Ducati, KTM or Honda.
Who put pressure on us to accept this option? fabio quartararoObviously. The 2021 world champion is demanding a machine capable of fighting for victory, and he's no longer hiding it. Yamaha He therefore brought out his new weapon again. Malaysian GP, entrusted as a wild-card to Augusto FernandezBut the result was worrying: after a disastrous first test at Misano — more than a minute behind the leaders — doubts began to creep in.
With a contract expiring at the end of 2026, there is no guarantee that fabio quartararo wishes to stay where he is, the paddock reminds us. Yamaha reportedly put a "colossal" offer on the table, but money will not be enough: the Frenchman's priority remains the competitiveness of his machine.
And that's where the strategy comes in. Yamaha could backfire on her, as journalist Simon Patterson explains in the podcast The Race:
« Yamaha's biggest problem right now is that there is A factory that can pay as well as they do, and that's the one that has a very good motorcycle now, namely Honda ».
By giving Quarterly a preview of the V4, Yamaha would facilitate a possible transition to competition:
« Any potential transition for Fabio away from Yamaha will be much more It's easy to reach 2026 on any V4, even if it's not very good.They may have shot themselves in the foot. I don't know.. »
By trying to give Fabio Quartararo exactly what he wants, Yamaha risks showing him… the door
According to him, a key date is approaching: My intuition tells me that the decision concerning Fabio will probably come after Jerez and Monday's tests in May 2026This traditional test will be the date. And the thing is... that everyone will be waiting for Fabio »
Because he never drove a V4 at the peak of his career, Quarterly Lack of experience with this type of engine. That's one of the reasons that led Yamaha to conserve Jack Miller at Pramac earlier in the season: he is one of the few in-house drivers who knows the V4 and his technical feedback is valuable.
Three seasons struggling with an inferior motorcycle is already a lot. In 2022, Quartararo fought for the title again… before the collapse. Since then, the V4 rivals have widened the gap.
The old pilot MotoGP Michael Laverte doesn't mince words: Fabio would be "crazy" to sign on the dotted line without being sure they could provide him with decent equipment ».
Especially since in 2027, the premier category will switch to new technical regulations: a complete reset of the hierarchy. In other words: now is the time to choose the right side.
Yamaha wants to keep Quarterly At any cost. But by trying to give him exactly what he wants, the manufacturer risks showing him… the door. El Diablo's future has never been so uncertain. And one truth is already clear: the V4 will decide everything.
