- Quartararo as best Yamaha rider more than 30 seconds behind race winner Bezzecchi
- Yamaha bars all four riders from media contact after the race
- New V4 engine still without a clear development direction, new engines reportedly not coming until May
The 2026 MotoGP season opener at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand, could hardly have gone worse for Yamaha. What had already been hinted at during the winter tests was confirmed in drastic fashion at the first competitive showdown under race conditions: the new V4-powered M1 is currently not competitive in any discipline.
Four Yamaha Riders, Four Finishes Outside the Points
The bare numbers paint a sobering picture. Fabio Quartararo finished as the best Yamaha rider in 14th place, 30.823 seconds behind race winner Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia). The fact that the 2021 World Champion scored two championship points at all was mainly due to crashes and retirements by rivals. Behind him, Alex Rins finished 15th with a 33-second deficit, rookie Toprak Razgatlioglu in 17th with 39.2 seconds, and Jack Miller in 18th with a 47.8-second gap. 14th, 15th, 17th, and 18th at the season opener: this is the worst start to a MotoGP season Yamaha has ever recorded in the modern era.
The extent of the deficit also becomes clear in a direct pace comparison. Bezzecchi averaged 1:31.390 per lap over the 26 laps. Quartararo averaged 1:32.468, more than a second per lap behind the winner’s race pace, on one of the shortest circuits on the calendar. Already in qualifying, the Frenchman qualified 16th, nearly 0.9 seconds from leading Q1, let alone getting anywhere near pole position.
New V4 Engine: More Problems Than Solutions
The new V4 project, with which Yamaha aims to recapture past glories in the long term, is still in its infancy. The M1 was not only the slowest in top speed measurements at Buriram but also struggled with a lack of rear grip and is reportedly less agile than its inline-four predecessor. Yamaha had made no secret of viewing the first half of the 2026 season as an extended test. However, the reality in Thailand apparently turned out even harsher than expected.
Already during the Sepang test, publicly visible mechanical problems had cost a complete test day. During the Buriram test, Quartararo drew attention with frustrated reactions. Rins also showed displeasure when he learned that one of his motorcycles was to be given to Quartararo, hinting at behind-the-scenes tensions. Quartararo himself stated that he expected no new engines before May and currently saw no clear development direction for the project.
Media Ban and Racing Boss as Spokesperson
An unusual step underscored the tense situation at Yamaha after the race. Not a single one of the four Yamaha riders spoke to the media. While it is not uncommon for riders to skip media appointments at overseas races, often for logistical reasons, for a manufacturer to keep all its riders away from the microphones and instead send a senior figure forward is rare and was viewed in the paddock as a clear warning sign.
Instead, MotoGP racing boss Paolo Pavesio stepped before the assembled press. “I am not Yamaha’s new rider,” he opened his statement. “At the beginning of our journey, after our riders gave their best all weekend, I think it is right that I, as a representative of the company, explain where we stand with our project.” Pavesio spoke openly about the extent of the deficit and the challenges: “Now we know how big the gap is and that we have a mountain to climb. But we commit to taking these steps, one at a time.”
He emphasized that Yamaha had consciously accepted setbacks during the transition to the new engine. “Over a flying lap, we were able to reach a quite good level last year. We knew we would lose that at the beginning. We sacrificed that to achieve more consistency during the race.” In the sprint, the gap from the best Yamaha to the winner had been identical to the previous year, but in the longer race they had significantly more problems.
Pavesio admitted that a timeline was difficult to predict. With every lap on track, we discover new things; we are still working on the basic setup of the machine.” Thanks to the concession rules, Yamaha can test more than its direct competitors, which should enable progress over the course of the season. “There is no magic. We are determined to close the one-second gap to the others.”
Emotional Toll and Backing from Japan
Pavesio also addressed the human side of the crisis. He described the situation as emotionally difficult for everyone involved, with the riders being particularly exposed as the most publicly visible figures. At the same time, numerous employees within the company had been working day and night on the project for months. “Everyone must understand that this is a journey. A journey we must complete to get back to where we want to be.”
As a sign of support, the Yamaha president himself had traveled from Japan to the circuit this weekend. Pavesio made clear that his presence was not about oversight but about reassurance that the project enjoys the full backing of the corporate leadership. “Nothing from the past is guaranteed anymore, that is clear to everyone at our company.”
Parallels to 2017 and a Long Road Ahead
The media blackout in Buriram is reminiscent of a similar situation in 2017, when Yamaha’s management publicly apologized to the assembled media in Austria while Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales waited in the background for questions. At that time, Yamaha needed five more years before the manufacturer won another MotoGP title with Quartararo in 2021.
Meanwhile, Quartararo is reportedly on the verge of a move to Honda. Yamaha, however, has secured notable signings for the future in Jorge Martin and Luca Marini. Whether they can accelerate the turnaround will depend largely on how quickly the V4 project makes progress. After the season opener in Thailand, a long road appears to lie ahead.
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