Fabio Quartararo believes Yamaha has not made any “big steps” with its MotoGP bikes since the Barcelona test late last year.
The 2021 champion feels that the M1’s performance has suffered as Yamaha has not been able to bring meaningful upgrades to the bike since the early part of the season.
Quartararo enjoyed incredible form over the summer, achieving three consecutive pole positions and a podium finish at the Spanish Grand Prix.
However, results have proven hard to come by since the second half of the year, with the Catalan Grand Prix being the only time a Yamaha rider has finished in the top five in a Sunday race since the summer break.
The drop in form is at least partly due to Yamaha focusing on the development of its V4-powered M1, which it intends to introduce next year as a replacement for its current inline-four bike.
“The biggest progress we made for 2025 was the test we did in Barcelona in 2024,” he said. “We tried a new chassis which gave us a little direction, but we haven’t really made any big steps this season.
Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing
Photo by: Gold & Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
“We changed the aerodynamics a bit, we changed the engine twice, but we can see that our top speed is much lower.
“However, I think the biggest step we took was in Barcelona, where we felt a little more on corner entry.”
He added: “We saw that really the best moments we had were at the beginning of the year, the three races were Le Mans, Jerez and Silverstone. Since then we have been really struggling, but I want to focus on myself and try to improve as a rider.”
Yamaha is conducting a number of private tests in October and November to improve the M1 and enhance its chances for the 2026 season.
Asked if he was disappointed by the lack of progress at the Iwata-based marque, Quartararo said: “Right now, the equipment we have certainly doesn’t give us a chance to fight for a top-five finish in the championship.
“We need to work on this, and that’s why I’m putting pressure on the engineers to come up with a better bike for next year.”
Quartararo’s V4 doubts
Augusto Fernandez, Yamaha Factory Racing
Photo by: Yamaha MotoGP
Yamaha is pinning all its hopes on its new V4 engine, pushing its development forward despite impending regulation changes in 2027.
After driving the new V4 motor at the Misano test last month, Quartararo was unimpressed, although other Yamaha riders were more encouraged by its performance.
While the V4-spec M1 is still in its infancy, and therefore has plenty of room for improvement, the Frenchman believes the current inline model still remains a better option.
“Potentially, the 2026 project is V4, but to me, the potential of the V4 is still far away from the inline four,” he said. “We know the project has just started and there’s still a lot of work to be done. But for now, our bike has more potential than the V4.”
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