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Thailand on Sunday, after Yamaha\u2019s dreadful performance in the opening race of the 2026 MotoGP season? No, Austria 2018, when then-Yamaha project leader Kouji Tsuya publicly apologised to riders Valentino Rossi and Maverick Vinales after the pair \u2013 unusually at the time \u2013 qualified outside of the top 10 at the Red Bull Ring. <\/p>\n
Fast-forward eight years, and it\u2019s hard to imagine a Yamaha rider being able to see the top 10 with a telescope. <\/p>\n
MORE MOTOGP NEWS<\/p>\n
THAILAND TALKING POINTS<\/a> Winner\u2019s historic hat-trick, \u2018exploded\u2019 tyre stops Marquez<\/p>\n RACE REPORT <\/a> Italian makes amends as champ has scary retirement<\/p>\n Last weekend at Buriram, Yamaha\u2019s four riders \u2013 2021 MotoGP champion Fabio Quartararo, six-time Grand Prix winner Alex Rins, reigning three-time World Superbikes champion Toprak Razgatlioglu and Australia\u2019s four-time Grand Prix winner Jack Miller \u2013 were nowhere. <\/p>\n Quartararo (16th of 22 riders) was the fastest Yamaha in qualifying, while Miller (15th) fared best in the sprint. Of the 19 riders who finished Sunday\u2019s 26-lap race, Yamaha riders were 14th (Quartararo), 15th (Rins), 17th (Razgatlioglu) and second-last (Miller), the Australian in survival mode by the end, just trying to make the chequered flag. <\/p>\n Yamaha\u2019s switch from its long-successful inline-four engine configuration to a V4 engine<\/a> to bring it in line with rivals Ducati, Aprilia, KTM and Honda was always going to produce some growing pains, but not like this. <\/p>\n On Sunday night, lest their quartet of accomplished riders let rip in their post-race debriefs, Yamaha cancelled their media sessions and threw managing director Paolo Pavesio into the fire to provide answers. <\/p>\n For 10 straight minutes, Pavesio ducked and weaved.<\/p>\n \u201cNow we see very clearly from the first racing weekend what is the gap, and we understand that we have quite a mountain to climb,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n \u201cOur riders gave 110 per cent, the company is giving 110 per cent \u2026 but there will be no magic. One step after the other, one second after the other, we are determined to grow the project up until the moment we will be competitive again.\u201d<\/p>\n Pressed on how soon Miller and his stablemates can expect an improvement, Pavesio was blunt. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very difficult to give a number of months … it\u2019s clear that every time we go on the track, we are discovering things which we have to improve,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n \u201cSometimes emotionally it is not easy, but there is nothing that is granted from where we were in the past \u2013 this is something we are deeply understanding.\u201d <\/p>\n ‘What on earth happened to Marquez!?’ | 01:14<\/p>\n EXPECTATIONS LOW, RESULTS LOWER<\/p>\n Preventing its riders from venting into an open mic was close to unprecedented for Yamaha, but entirely understandable. Expectations were muted after pre-season testing at the same Thailand track one week prior to the first Grand Prix exposed the shortfalls of its nascent engine project, but this was a horror show.<\/p>\n MORE MOTOGP NEWS<\/p>\n THE SHOWMAN AND THE QUICK KID<\/a> The link between MotoGP\u2019s rookie odd couple<\/p>\n