🔥Fabio Quartararo and Yamaha are the center of attention of MotoGP after the V4 engine was announced and the secrets behind it surprised fans!

In recent days, Fabio Quartararo and Yamaha have become the center of attention in MotoGP as Yamaha officially unveiled its long-anticipated shift from the traditional inline-four engine to a brand-new V4 configuration. What’s emerging are revelations that are surprising fans, riders, and the engineering community alike. Here’s the latest on the Yamaha V4, what it means for Quartararo, and why the secrets behind it are causing such a stir.

Yamaha’s noise about a V4 engine has been building for months, but the prototype was revealed in full view at Misano just before the San Marino Grand Prix—marking not only a technical milestone but a philosophical one for the Japanese manufacturer. The new engine is paired with a newly designed chassis, aero package, exhaust layout, and even altered dimensions to accommodate the switch.

Fabio Quartararo has already sampled the V4 prototype during private tests, including a session in Barcelona. In that test, amid mixed weather, he posted a lap time of approximately 1 minute 39.4 seconds. While that time is not strictly comparable to most race sessions—due to differences in tyre, track conditions, and weather—it does provide a benchmark to understand how Yamaha sees the V4’s potential.

One of the big surprises is how Yamaha intends to use this engine. While many expected it only for 2026, Yamaha is already preparing for data collection in real GP conditions, planning for gradual integration. Augusto Fernández will ride the V4 prototype as a wildcard entrant at San Marino to gather real-world data. Quartararo and Álex Rins will get further exposure when the official test at Misano is run after the GP weekend.

Why is this move shaking things up? First, Yamaha has long clung to the inline-four design for its M1 bike. That layout has advantages—lower center of gravity, a certain feel for power delivery—but also limits, especially versus rival manufacturers who have optimized V4 engines for torque, straight-line power, and adaptability of chassis dynamics. The V4 is expected to bring improvements in top-end performance, midrange torque, and overall packaging—potentially solving issues Yamaha has struggled with, particularly grip loss, low rear traction, and difficulty in matching competitors in acceleration zones.

Yet, there are secrets and uncertainties beneath the new announcement. For example, Yamaha has not disclosed exactly how much the V4 layout will affect the bike’s weight distribution, or how drastically the engine layout change will force compromises elsewhere (like cooling, aerodynamics, or rider ergonomics). The new exhaust layout—dual silencers, side and under-tail—is one visible change, but how that affects back pressure, engine heat, balance, and chassis stiffness remains to be fully understood. In addition, there are reports that Yamaha’s working window for the M1 has been extremely narrow: Quartararo has said that even small changes in grip or temperature can swing performance dramatically. Moving to V4 might widen that window, but it also introduces new variables.

Another intriguing secret: even though Yamaha unveiled the V4 publicly, the decision to switch fully (for racing all their bikes) is not yet locked in. Yamaha’s strategy seems to be gradual—using the V4 to gather data during wildcards and tests, comparing it with the current inline-four design, and only committing if it shows clear performance advantages. ĀBecause season regulations, engine concessions, and homologation rules constrain when and how much they can change mid-season, there is strategy baked in.

For Fabio Quartararo, this transition period is bittersweet. On one hand, he has been vocal about his frustrations with the current M1’s limitations—losing grip, struggling in races when grip is low, trouble with rear traction especially in early laps, and the difficulty of managing the bike in traffic or in group riding. On the other hand, using and giving feedback on the V4 gives him the potential to ride a more competitive machine in 2026, or even late in 2025 if Yamaha deems it race-ready. But that also means adapting his riding style again, as different engine characteristics bring different throttle response, mass distribution, vibration, and how the bike behaves in mid-corner exits etc.

What to watch out for in the coming weeks:

• How well the V4 performs under race conditions in San Marino, via Fernández’s wildcard ride.

• How Quartararo’s times on the V4 compare in testing (especially Misano) with his best rides on the inline-four.

• Whether Yamaha’s changeover will come sooner than 2026, especially if the V4 proves significantly stronger.

• How rivals respond. If Ducati, Honda, KTM, Aprilia have to adjust their development because Yamaha closes the power/traction gap, we might see a trickle of updates across teams.

In conclusion, Fabio Quartararo and Yamaha’s V4 announcement isn’t just a headline—it may well be the turning point for Yamaha’s competitiveness in MotoGP. The secrets behind the V4 are many—some visible, others technical or still under wraps—but the fact that Yamaha is willing to re-engineer from the ground up, test aggressively, involve their star riders like Quartararo, and prepare for regulatory changes shows intent. Whether this gamble pays off remains to be seen, but for now, fans have every reason to pay close attention.