Fabio Quartararo believes Yamaha needs “a few more months to be ready” with its V4 MotoGP bike, as he predicts a year of development and minimal results.
Yamaha hopes to return to winning ways in the coming seasons with its new V4 project, but it will start 2026 firmly at the bottom of the pecking order.
It was just over a second off the best lap time at the end of the Buriram test, while none of Yamaha’s riders offered up any encouraging race simulations.
Fabio Quartararo reckons Yamaha is at least 0.7s per lap down on race pace and is still “months” away from being competitive.
“I tried to give my maximum,” said Quartararo, whose frustrations with the bike boiled over on Saturday at the test.
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“We can see we are seven, eight tenths slower than last year’s race simulation in the test.
“But I think it’s a long process and we need a few more months to be ready.”
Yamaha’s V4 engine remains well down on top speed, though a new version is expected around about the Spanish Grand Prix.
However, Quartararo doesn’t believe that will be the answer to all of the bike’s issues right now.
“I think the engine is a big step of our improvement, but not all of it,” he added.
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“Like, the turning of the bike right and the grip is the weakest point right now.
“Of course, the power is not there, but for me the weakest point is that I’m not able to turn, I’m not able to really make lap times smoothly.
“If we check my sprint simulation, I’m in 1m30s high, 1m31s low, but I’m struggling because the tyre overheats so much.
“We saw Jack [Miller] tried to make a long run and was in 1m32s high. So, there are many things to improve.”
No possibility of pole repeats from last year
Despite Yamaha’s difficult form last year, Quartararo was still able to shine in qualifying and managed a few podiums.
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However, he is certain none of that will be repeated in 2026 with the V4.
“Well, I think that will be all the year, to be honest, because I don’t think we can find all what we need super quickly,” he said when asked if he was anticipating the first half of the season to be about development.
“It will be challenging, because as a rider you want to fight for the victory or at least like last year make pole positions and front rows. But we are very far from that.
“This year there will be no possibility of doing these kinds of [pole] laps, because it’s clearly the point where we miss from last year, and I don’t think in half a year we will find that.
“So, let’s see what we can achieve.”
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