Yamaha showcases V4-powered MotoGP bike ahead of race debut

Yamaha has unveiled its new V4-powered M1 MotoGP prototype ahead of its race debut at this weekend’s San Marino Grand Prix.

The Japanese manufacturer took the covers off the bike, which was painted in a predominantly blue livery, at its hospitality unit in the Misano paddock on Thursday.

Although Yamaha’s V4 challenger has been in testing for several months, all previous outings took place behind closed doors, making this the first time it was shown in public.

The bike will now make its debut race appearance on Sunday, with test rider Augusto Fernandez at the helm. 

Yamaha’s star rider Fabio Quartararo already sampled the bike in a private test at Barcelona on Monday, and is expected to receive another outing in the forthcoming Dorna test at Misano on Monday.

The new M1 represents a complete overhaul of Yamaha’s MotoGP bike, with the shift from an inline four-cylinder to a V4 layout forcing a fundamental redesign of its dimensions.

Yamaha remains the only manufacturer in MotoGP still running an inline four-cylinder engine, but in recent years it concluded that the concept had reached its limit. 

Hence, even with a major regulation overhaul coming in 2027 that will see a switch to smaller-capacity 850cc engines, it pressed ahead with the development of the 1000cc V4 motor.

A full debut of the new engine is currently slated for 2026. MotoGP regulations may prevent Quartararo and factory team-mate Alex Rins from switching to the V4 bike towards the end of the season.

While Yamaha enjoys far greater freedom to introduce engine changes during the season as a concession manufacturer, the new M1 represents an entirely new bike.