Yamaha Sets Target to Use V4 Engine for 2026 MotoGP Season

Paolo Pavesio, Yamaha’s boss, has revealed a clear target to implement the V4 engine in MotoGP 2026. The Japanese manufacturer — currently the only one using an inline-four engine in MotoGP — has been developing the V4 engine since last year.

The V4 engine development project is separate from preparations for the new 2027 bike — when all manufacturers must adapt to the 850cc formula. Speaking during the German GP, Pavesio confirmed their target to use the “current-spec” V4 for next season.

“We have to move into this new engine configuration for 2027. This is like entering an unknown world. The bike is changing, the balance of the bike is changing, so we need to learn many things,” Pavesio explained.

Currently, the new V4 engine has only been tested by Yamaha test riders, but Fabio Quartararo is scheduled to try it this September. His teammate, Alex Rins, who witnessed the bike testing in Brno last week, reported that the V4’s performance is still about two seconds per lap slower than the current race bike.