Yamaha is currently the only manufacturer in MotoGP using an inline four-cylinder engine, but it has been working on a V4 concept for several months, which is now in an advanced phase.
Although there has been no official comment from the Iwata-based manufacturer, Motorsport.com, citing a source from the company, reports that the project is well underway. Luca Marmorini has been working as an external consultant for more than a year and has emphasized early on that the inline four-cylinder concept should be discarded.
The goal is to put a 1,000cc V4 engine on the track, even though new 850cc engines will be introduced in 2027.
Thanks to development concessions this year, Álex Rins and Fabio Quartararo have been testing different engine specifications, though no significant progress has been made. The possible shift to a V4 engine is just another step in a series of radical changes Yamaha has undertaken in recent times to regain competitiveness.
From Marmorini’s involvement to the appointment of Max Bartolini as technical director earlier this year, and the investment in a satellite team that will function as a second factory team in 2025 – Prima Pramac – Yamaha has been working on multiple fronts. Additionally, the test team is expected to receive substantial investment, with the potential hiring of Augusto Fernández to join Cal Crutchlow.