In 2023, Yamaha will be the only MotoGP manufacturer to line up with an in-line four-cylinder engine. All its other competitors will in fact be equipped with V4, known to be able to deliver more power. It also has drawbacks, but with the advent of aerodynamics and the power of electronics, they have been erased. The same elements mentioned above, however, did not help the in-line four-cylinder engine. That being said, Suzuki coped very well, if we want to remember that two of the last three 2022 Grands Prix were won by Alex Rins and the late GSX-RR… And then Yamaha still finished second in the last championship with its driver Fabio Quartararo. But still, a V4 would do the M1 good according to some... which Lin Jarvis will cruelly disappoint with what follows...
The chimera of a V4 engine at Yamaha is not new, but as time passes until the end of the technical agreement currently in force in MotoGP until the end of 2026, it becomes less and less possible. And firstly because to succeed, we would have to spend crazy sums in a very short time and mobilize energies that we no longer find if we are willing to remember the way in which a board of directors at Suzuki euthanized the MotoGP project. Yet a winner!
But with the agreement made with Luca Marmorini and its brand Marmotors, the shadow of this V4 has been seen again. For what ? Because engineer Marmorini has been involved with V4 engines in Formula 1 all his life and with Aprilia in his involvement in MotoGP. SO ? SO Lynn Jarvis breaks the dream: “ I can't imagine such a change in the short term. » said the general manager of Yamaha Motor Racing on speedweek.
Lin Jarvis: “ we think it makes more sense to proceed with an engine design that we know inside and out«
He explains why: “ because it is a huge task to design, develop and produce a 4cc V1 engine for the MotoGP World Championship from scratch. If we planned this for the new regulations for the five years from 2027 to 2031, it might make sense. But we have not yet decided in which direction we are going to go because the technical regulations are not yet fixed. It should be decided in 2023, after which we have four years to develop it ».
Lynn Jarvis adds: " If we were to upgrade to a V4 engine now, we would have obvious disadvantages at first. We would be left behind, as most competitors have 20+ years of experience in this field ". It would perhaps also be necessary to rethink product logic, but there is no question of a replacement for the R1 and other R6s, equipped with an in-line four-cylinder. That being said, the range KTM is made of V2. No V4 is available in dealerships…
The Englishman ends his demonstration thus: “ It would be a very courageous and far-reaching decision if we were to do some "re-engineering" right now. But we think it makes more sense to proceed with an engine design that we know inside and out. We are convinced that we will still find great development capabilities with our Inline-Four ". And it would be better because Lynn Jarvis also just told us that there will never be any other alternative at Yamaha and 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026.
