Yamaha are reportedly considering a major shift in MotoGP by working on a V4 engine for its M1, potentially marking the end of its historic inline-four engine. The radical change is said to be aimed at addressing some of the competitive issues the team has faced in recent years.
While drivers like fabio quartararo complain less about a lack of power, the engine remains a delicate subject among Yamaha , which is now the only manufacturer in MotoGP to use an inline four-cylinder engine after the withdrawal of Suzuki late 2022.
According to information from Motorsport.com, The V4 project is already well advanced, a Yamaha could even roll a 4cc V1000 engine before the introduction of the new 2027 rules, which will impose 850 cm³ engines. fabio quartararo had recently expressed support for the idea of moving to a V4 engine, an architecture that all other competitors have long adopted. Although the current prototype of the 2025 engine has not yet satisfied Quartararo, alex rins has been more optimistic in recent tests in Misano.
Yamaha initiated this technical revolution by recruiting Luca Marmorini, a renowned engine engineer who worked for Ferrari and Toyota in F1, who helped improve engine performance Aprilia.
Sea serpent or Alesienne, the V4 engine has always been a subject at Yamaha
He quickly recommended to Yamaha to upgrade to a V4, a concept the manufacturer had briefly used in the 1980s, but never since its entry into MotoGP. This engine overhaul is part of a broader strategy, implemented since the arrival of Max Bartolini as technical director, in order to deliver Yamaha on the road to competitiveness.
Besides the engine, Yamaha plans to strengthen its infrastructure, notably by signing an agreement with Pramac to make it a satellite team equipped with the same equipment as the factory team. Yamaha is also working to expand its testing team, with the possibility of recruiting Augusto Fernandez and to appeal to Andrea Dovizioso for testing in 2024, while Cal Crutchlow continues to recover from surgery.
This series of changes, including the development of the V4 engine, reflects the desire of Yamaha to catch up with its competitors and become a competitive force in MotoGP again.
