RiderTua.com – Yamaha must develop a V4 engine to accelerate their progress, which will hopefully keep them in MotoGP in the long term. When Michael Laverty was asked, could Yamaha follow Suzuki out of MotoGP? “This is still worrying. We still have 3 years left from the current regulations. In 2027 there will be total changes,” he answered.
Laverty continued that now the authorities are in talks to remove the bike height lowering device and launch device. How to curb aero? Once the rules on aero are out, it’s hard to stop them completely. But they want to put control back into the hands of the drivers.
Yamaha Follows Suzuki Withdrawal From Motogp?
The decline of the Japanese manufacturer, which has been the strongest manufacturer in MotoGP, is very striking. Despite concessions to make improvements, they were warned they would have to make new progress by at least 2025.
Michael Laverty explained that if manufacturers know that there is a clear path and there will be changes by 2027, then there will be a bright spot. They can plan for another 10 years. We lost Suzuki, but there probably won’t be any more manufacturers coming out. Maybe BMW will be introduced in 2027. Acquisition by Liberty Media will be even stronger.
This season, Yamaha has taken a big step by extending Fabio Quartararo’s contract at a fantastic value and making him the highest paid rider in MotoGP. They also recruited Max Bartolini who is a skilled Ducati engineer. Meanwhile the new concession rules give Yamaha and Honda the opportunity to speed up their recovery.
Yamaha is also looking to add a satellite team to give it an extra place on the grid in 2025. “There is potential with LCR. Yamaha’s relationship with Valentino Rossi‘s VR46 is strong, but it looks like Ducati is working for the team as a whole. I think Yamaha needs to put two more bikes on the grid because they need another data set,” Laverty said.
Laverty further explained that Yamaha needed to develop the V4. It was that little thing that Fabio had been waiting for. They had to change the fundamental design of the bike. The other bike is the V4. Unfortunately inline4 has advantages before the aero era. Now, it suffers from aerodynamics. Yamaha used to have that kind of advantage.
Laverty added, “Those days are gone. The game has changed. Yamaha have to up their game and keep up. They’ve made big breakthroughs and financial commitments. There are definitely big changes coming.”
But nothing can help Quartararo significantly this season. “Yamaha talked a lot about the improvements made in the winter and brought in Max Bartolini. These concessions will pay dividends in the future. They are in the first stages of further development with that package,” added Laverty.
“It may take at least a full season before we really see big benefits. Currently, they are in a difficult phase. They are facing a difficult season, both Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins,” concluded Laverty.
