After the first test laps with the new V4 engine, Augusto Fernandez is impressed – but it is still too early to make a concrete assessment of the new development
In mid-April, Yamaha tested the new V4 engine on a European race track for the first time. Augusto Fernandez completed a few laps with the new development at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia. In principle, it was more of a rollout than a proper performance test.
“It was interesting, yes,” said the Yamaha test rider. ”But it’s still very early days – a young project. So it’s too early to make any comparisons. It was just about getting the bike up and running, doing a few laps, and getting a first impression.”
“I didn’t push it to the limit either, because I didn’t want to be the first rider in history to crash the Yamaha V4. That would have been a historic moment – but not in a positive sense. My name would have gone down in the books. Fortunately, everything went well.”
Yamaha made the decision to develop a V4 engine back in 2023. Developing a completely new prototype engine is a huge task. The engine is just one aspect of the new project.
A new chassis also has to be developed, the electronics have to be tuned to the new engine, and new aerodynamics have to be designed for the narrower engine. Yamaha still has a long way to go before it can complete a competitive overall package.
“At the moment, it’s just the engine and a prototype chassis – everything has been built just to get the power unit up and running,” Fernandez points out. “As I said, it’s still early days and the bike isn’t performing well yet.”
“As mentioned, it’s a young project, still in its infancy. It won’t be ready overnight; it will take time. But we have started the project, Yamaha is investing a lot and wants to make a difference. That’s positive, but we have to keep working.”
First wildcard with V4 engine still open
Nevertheless, Fernandez can already say that the V4 engine feels “completely different” to the inline engine with crossplane crankshaft. It is not yet possible to go into detail, as it was windy and cool on both test days in Valencia.
“It’s still too early to talk about riding feel or specific advantages,” the test rider emphasizes. ‘We don’t know exactly what the engine will bring us. Yes, the sound was really different. But as I said, we’re still a long way from pushing it to the limit.’
Yamaha is busy with a mammoth program, as the current M1 with an inline engine is still being developed, while the V4 project is being developed in parallel. The plan is to race with the V4 engine in 2026 if the motorcycle is faster than the current one by then.
Yamaha recently tested a new specification of the inline engine with its regular riders during Monday’s test in Jerez. They were satisfied with the results. This engine could be used as early as the next race in Le Mans.
After the French Grand Prix, Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins will test for two days in Misano. It is not yet known whether they will ride the V4 engine there for the first time.
A wildcard has been registered for Fernandez for the Aragon race weekend at the beginning of June. He has confirmed that the V4 engine will not be used there.