Quartararo Set for First Yamaha V4 Test at Misano in September

As Yamaha’s long-awaited V4 prototype gathers pace, Fabio Quartararo eyes Misano debut while Rins reveals early lap time comparisons from Brno test.

Subscribe to our Telegram channel for instant updates!

Fabio Quartararo expects to ride Yamaha’s highly anticipated V4 MotoGP prototype for the first time at the Official Misano Test on September 15, marking a major shift in the Japanese manufacturer’s engine philosophy after decades of inline-four development.

The V4 project, currently undergoing private testing with factory testers Augusto Fernandez and Andrea Dovizioso, was last spotted at Brno, where leaked images sparked excitement despite Yamaha keeping lap times and technical details tightly under wraps.

Speaking at the German Grand Prix, Quartararo confirmed: “Of course, I will test it. I think around September, I think in the Misano test. The comments are positive [so far], but until I test the bike, at the moment, it’s just what the engineers are saying to me.”

The 2021 world champion, who has exclusively raced Yamaha’s inline-four M1 in the premier class, is eager to explore the V4’s potential amid a competitive struggle in recent seasons. Although he claimed pole position at Assen, his German GP weekend was marred by a Sprint crash and a P10 finish in the main race after being forced off track by Fermín Aldeguer’s accident.

“We have to keep working really hard on the race pace, especially when we have to be consistent with the other manufacturers,” Quartararo said. “That is where we struggle.”

While Quartararo awaits his first V4 run, teammate Alex Rins shed light on early test data. Denied a chance to ride the new machine himself, Rins revealed that Fernandez lapped in the 1m54.7s–1m54.8s range at Brno, compared to his own 1m52.7s on the inline-four. Still, Rins cautioned against reading too much into the two-second gap.

“They had to spend a lot of time stopped, assembling and disassembling things. It’s not really two seconds, it’s less,” Rins said, while joking about being reprimanded for posting footage of the test bike on social media.

As development continues, Fernandez is expected to make a wildcard appearance on the V4 later this year, with Motegi a strong candidate for the prototype’s race debut.

All eyes now turn to Misano in September, where Quartararo’s feedback could shape Yamaha’s MotoGP future.