Fabio Quartararo, the 2021 MotoGP world champion, returned to Europe after Yamaha’s Sepang MotoGP test faced disruption due to a technical problem that kept the garage closed throughout the second day. Having completed initial sessions on the new Yamaha V4 bike at the Shakedown and the first day of the official test, Quartararo’s outlook on the machine’s competitiveness remained pessimistic.
Despite completing two days of running on the V4 before a broken finger injury took him out, Quartararo expressed concern that the latest Yamaha M1 model lagged significantly behind its competitors. The French rider finished day one of official testing ninth overall, trailing Marc Marquez of Ducati by 0.851 seconds, with Yamaha teammate Jack Miller 14th.
Of course, I cannot say I’m confident because we see how much we suffer, we see that our lap times are not very good,
Quartararo said prior to leaving Sepang.
But the only thing I can do is do my best, try to ride at my maximum and whatever the position is, try to make the best I can.
Quartararo’s Take on the Gap Between Yamaha and Its Rivals
Having ridden Yamaha’s Inline4 bikes throughout his MotoGP career, Quartararo indicated that adapting to the V4 style was not the primary issue behind Yamaha’s current struggles. He acknowledged an immediate understanding of the necessary riding adjustments while highlighting various technical shortcomings of the new V4 model.
Yes, completely [adapted to the V4 style]. I felt straight away where I needed to change, where I needed to adapt in a different way. But I think also our V4 is not completely as the others,
he explained.
Quartararo pointed out significant areas requiring improvement, including cornering, traction, electronics, grip, and power delivery. He also admitted that limited track time due to his injury restricted his full assessment of where Yamaha truly stands compared to other manufacturers.
There is still work to do, especially on the turning, on the traction, on the electronics, on the grip, on the power. So there are many things to adjust.
While acknowledging that he did not log enough laps to gain complete insight, he added,
because I did not enough laps
Quartararo observed the speed of rival teams during the opening testing day, remarking,
So we know where we are, we know that we are super far, but we have to accept it and working hard is the only thing that we can do.
Upcoming Testing and Quartararo’s Future Plans
Quartararo is expected to return to the Yamaha V4 for testing at Buriram on February 21-22, following his recovery. Reports suggest he has already decided to move to Honda for the 2027 season. Meanwhile, Yamaha resumed the third day of testing at Sepang with Alex Rins as the fastest Yamaha rider, finishing 14th and 1.178 seconds behind Alex Marquez on a Gresini Ducati.
Comparative Test Results and Expected Standings
If Quartararo had maintained his approximately half-second lead over Rins through the end of the Sepang test, he would likely have ranked eighth overall, about 0.7 seconds behind Alex Marquez. This pace would have placed him 0.5 seconds behind Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi, 0.2 seconds behind Honda’s best lap by Joan Mir, and narrowly ahead of KTM’s top time by Pedro Acosta.
By contrast, Rins’s best lap of 1m 57.580s at the same test was 0.8 seconds slower than Quartararo’s 1m 56.724s during the previous year’s final Inline4 test.
Yamaha’s Testing Progress and Engine Development
During the 2025 and 2026 Sepang MotoGP tests, significant differences were noted between Yamaha’s Inline4 machine in 2025 and its new V4 in 2026. Alex Marquez demonstrated consistency with Ducati, nearly matching his 2025 pace during the 2026 test, while Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi showed notable improvement.
As a manufacturer with concession status, Yamaha retains the ability to revise its V4 engine design throughout the season and to conduct private tests with its riders, potentially allowing ongoing development despite current challenges.
