- FIM President Viegas explains why Phillip Island lost MotoGP
- Yamaha also struggles with material shortages for the new V4 engine in Buriram
- Toprak Razgatlioglu struggles with the switch from Superbike World Championship to MotoGP
A few days before the start of the 2026 MotoGP season in Buriram (Thailand), several topics are causing a stir in the paddock. In addition to the sporting action on the track, where the final winter test drives have just been completed, a decision off the track is causing particular discussion: after almost 30 years, Phillip Island is losing its place on the MotoGP calendar. At the same time, the tests in Thailand reveal that Yamaha is still struggling with massive technical problems shortly before the start of the season, while KTM is cautiously optimistic about the new season.
Phillip Island Loses MotoGP: FIM President Explains the Background
FIM President Jorge Viegas explained in detail during an interview with the Australian magazine MCNEWS why Phillip Island must give up its place on the MotoGP calendar to Adelaide. According to him, the problem was not the track itself, but the lack of infrastructure surrounding the circuit.
“This was asked 10 years ago, that they should improve the facilities here, and every year they said, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, we will do it’. But it never happened, so now it’s gone, because Adelaide made a good proposal,” Viegas explained.
Viegas pointed to the fundamental difficulties of organizing a MotoGP weekend at today’s scale at Phillip Island. The limitations, he said, are not on the track but in the surrounding area, particularly when it comes to accommodating and providing for larger visitor numbers. “As to Phillip Island, everybody loves this track. I love to come here, but if you want to invite people, if you want to make something different, there are no hotels, there’s nothing. It’s really difficult,” the FIM President said.
Several planned construction projects on Phillip Island that could have solved the problem failed in the past due to local planning procedures. A proposal by Linfox Tourist Development for more than 500 apartments and a golf course near the circuit was rejected by the local council as it did not comply with planning guidelines. A planned rezoning of 24 hectares of farmland in Ventnor for residential development also failed following a community campaign. In Cape Woolamai, an application for a pub, shops, and a backpacker hostel was also rejected.
Despite the loss of MotoGP, Viegas emphasized that the door is not permanently closed for Phillip Island. “It’s not a goodbye forever,” he said. The FIM is working on bringing alternative international events to the circuit. Specifically, Viegas mentioned the FIM Intercontinental Games 2028, a multi-discipline event that is set to include circuit racing as well as motocross. Beyond that, the FIM President raised the possibility of bringing a round of the Endurance World Championship to Phillip Island. From 2027, Adelaide is set to serve as the new venue for the Australian Grand Prix, with a street circuit to be used there.
Yamaha in Crisis: Engine Problems Continue in Buriram
Yamaha was supposed to enter the 2026 MotoGP season with an entirely new V4 engine and close the gap to the front. The reality so far, however, looks quite different. Already during the test in Sepang, the Japanese manufacturer had to sit out an entire test day after an engine failure on Fabio Quartararo’s bike, with the cause unable to be immediately identified. Only after clearance from a technical committee were the riders allowed back on track on the final day with reduced mileage.
This pattern repeated itself during the concluding two-day test in Buriram. Yamaha team manager Massimo Meregalli confirmed that two of the four factory bikes had already reached their maximum engine mileage after the first day. Both affected machines came from Fabio Quartararo’s garage. One of teammate Alex Rins’ two bikes was promptly transferred to Quartararo, leaving both riders with only one motorcycle each on Sunday.
“We decided to run just one bike each on the second day. The reason is that the other two bikes in the factory team had reached their maximum engine mileage toward the end of the first day. All the new parts and engines we had scheduled for use at the season opener will only arrive tomorrow,” Meregalli explained.
The news that fresh engines from Japan are expected to arrive in time for the season opener in Buriram is, however, overshadowed by one key point: the new powertrains do not feature an updated specification. Yamaha will therefore also have to compete in race conditions with a significant top speed deficit. On average, the M1 was around 10 km/h slower on the straights in Buriram than the competition. Quartararo and his colleagues will have to wait for the first engine update. For the first four race weekends of the season in Thailand, Brazil, the USA, and Qatar, there will definitely be no new evolution of the V4. The earliest a new version could be deployed is at the European opener in Jerez from April 24 to 26.
In sporting terms, the four Yamaha riders Quartararo, Rins, Jack Miller, and Toprak Razgatlioglu brought up the rear in the final standings of the Buriram test. Only Enea Bastianini, rookie Diogo Moreira, and Ducati test rider Michele Pirro slotted in among the quartet. In addition to the lack of engine performance, Yamaha is also battling an unresolved chassis issue that is said to particularly affect Quartararo.
Yamaha does have one small advantage through its classification as a below-average manufacturer: as the only factory, the Iwata-based team is permitted to introduce engine updates during the ongoing season, while Ducati, Aprilia, and KTM must compete with their homologated specification.
Toprak Razgatlioglu: The Difficult Path from Superbike Champion to MotoGP Rookie
Three-time Superbike World Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu is facing one of the biggest challenges of his career. The Turkish rider, who is the first to make the switch from the Superbike World Championship to MotoGP since Cal Crutchlow in 2011, continues to struggle massively with adapting to the prototype motorcycle and Michelin tires even after the winter tests.
In Buriram, Razgatlioglu finished the final test day in 21st out of 22 riders, more than two seconds off the pace. His biggest problem, by his own account, is a lack of confidence in the front tire, particularly at lean angle. To better understand where he is losing time, he followed his Pramac teammate Jack Miller on track during the final test day.
“When I was following Jack, I was surprised, because I was losing a lot in the first corner, the first sector in general. I’m always riding a little bit more calm, I don’t trust the front tyre,” Razgatlioglu described the situation.
The difference compared to experienced MotoGP riders is particularly evident at corner entry. While Miller and other riders immediately commit to high lean angles into the corner, Razgatlioglu hesitates and expects to lose the front wheel at any moment. “On the brakes, I can do hard braking, but when I am leaning, I don’t really trust the front tyre because the other riders lean completely and the bike turns, while I’m leaning and just waiting because I’m already waiting to lose the front tyre,” he explained.
Razgatlioglu rode crash-free throughout the entire tests, but paradoxically sees this as a disadvantage as well. Without a crash, he lacks the experience of knowing where the tire’s actual limits lie. “Still, I haven’t crashed, but maybe I need to crash to understand the limit,” he said.
The 29-year-old aborted a race simulation in Buriram after just ten laps because his lap times were too slow. However, he found that longer stints on used tires helped him adapt better to the motorcycle and develop a feel for the right riding style. Quartararo visited his Yamaha stablemate during the test and encouraged him not to put himself under pressure. The core of his difficulties lies in a fundamentally different riding style: in the Superbike World Championship, Razgatlioglu relies on hard braking maneuvers and V-shaped lines, while MotoGP demands above all high corner speeds and great trust in the front tire. The switch from Pirelli tires to Michelin rubber makes the process even more difficult.
Pedro Acosta: KTM Making Progress, but Ducati and Aprilia Dominate
Pedro Acosta left a significantly more positive impression at the Buriram test. The KTM rider finished the final test day in sixth place, 0.353 seconds off the pace, and expressed satisfaction with the Austrian manufacturer’s development. Across all five pre-season test days, the 21-year-old completed the program without a single crash.
Particularly in terms of tire wear, which was KTM’s biggest weakness last year, Acosta sees clear improvements. With afternoon track temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in Buriram, the evolved RC16 delivered promising results. Acosta described that the tire still offered sufficient grip up to lap 24 or 25, which was not the case last year.
Nevertheless, Acosta sees two manufacturers clearly ahead of the competition. Ducati appears even more dominant than last year, and Aprilia has also made a significant step forward. Aprilia’s strength is no longer limited to just a single rider but is evident across their entire lineup.
For the season opener next weekend in Thailand, Acosta has set himself a realistic target: a top-five finish. For that, everything would need to come together in qualifying and at the start. The Spaniard explicitly praised KTM’s work and emphasized that the motorcycle feels more natural than last year. The evolved RC16 is easier to ride and noticeably improved in its handling.
Last year, Acosta lost almost twelve seconds to the leaders in the sprint at the season opener in Buriram, finishing sixth, and in the Grand Prix he was left trailing after an early crash. The starting position for 2026 now appears significantly better, even though the gap to Ducati and Aprilia remained visible in the race simulations.
What This Means for the 2026 MotoGP Season
The season opener in Thailand next weekend will reveal how the competitive order truly shapes up under race conditions. Ducati and Aprilia enter the new season as favorites, with Marco Bezzecchi and Ai Ogura delivering the most convincing race simulations at the Buriram test. KTM has shown progress under Pedro Acosta but still needs to prove itself. For Yamaha, a difficult year lies ahead in which the primary focus will be on getting the reliability of the new V4 engine under control before any sporting success can be considered. And away from the track, the discussion surrounding the loss of Phillip Island and the future of the Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide will continue to occupy the MotoGP community for a long time to come.
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