Yamaha V4 has no strengths: Quartararo’s verdict is damning

Quartararo’s approach to the Brazilian GP is anything but optimistic: the situation at Yamaha doesn’t allow for any particular ambitions for the weekend.

The Thai Grand Prix confirmed the difficulties of the new M1 equipped with a V4 engine, a very raw project that needs time to improve. It’s normal for Yamaha riders to feel great frustration, especially Fabio Quartararo, someone who has been a MotoGP world champion and runner-up. For this weekend in Goiânia there aren’t big expectations—nor could it be otherwise.

Several weeks have passed since the GP in Buriram, and there was also a private test at Jerez, but Quartararo does not believe that the time elapsed has helped Yamaha better understand the situation and produce improvements for this round in Brazil: “No, I don’t think so. Yamaha also carried out a test at Jerez—reports Speedweek—but nothing new was tried. I don’t think a bit more experience will help us. There isn’t a single area where we feel strong. The engineers are trying to figure out where to start to make us feel better.”

Goiânia will be a new track for everyone; each team will have to start from scratch, and some believe this scenario could help Yamaha. The French rider disagrees and was blunt on the matter: “No! Every track will be difficult for us.”

His frustration is immense; knowing he can’t fight for good results isn’t easy. The situation is worse than in 2025, when the M1 still had the inline-four engine, and Quartararo has no desire to wait for the new V4 project to mature. Not by chance, he has already decided to leave Yamaha at the end of the 2026 MotoGP season. Barring any twists, his future will be with the Honda HRC team. This will be a long and complicated year for him; he will still have to try to do his best for the Iwata manufacturer before turning the page.