– 2026 is a year of transition for Yamaha, and that is exactly what the Japanese factory had expected. Team manager Massimo Meregalli does not hide the fact that work on the new MotoGP project is proving more difficult than hoped.
Read more NLS Weather 2026: The Weather Forecast for NLS7
At the same time, he sees the current problems as an important learning process for the future, especially with a view to the major technical turning point in 2027.
“It is definitely not an easy season,” Meregalli explains in an interview with MotoGP.com. “We knew that the first part of the season would be difficult. We have always said that it would be a real learning phase for us because we are putting together a completely new project and racing with it right away.”
Yamaha deliberately took a long-term path with the switch from the inline four-cylinder to the V4 engine. Introducing a new technical base brings numerous challenges: from tuning the machine to developing a competitive overall package.
Meregalli therefore emphasizes that the problems are painful but certainly valuable: “We were aware that many difficulties would arise on this path. But we are learning from it, and that will help us next year when we introduce a new motorcycle with an engine configuration that may guarantee better performance.”
Focus on the second half of the season
Despite the so far mixed results, Yamaha does not want to write off this MotoGP season prematurely. The second part of the year is to be used to better exploit the existing possibilities of the current package.
“We are now in the middle of this season and know that our goal from the beginning was to improve performance and accordingly also the results in the second half of the season,” explains Meregalli. It is about “getting the maximum out of what we have and what we will bring for the second half of the season.”
Photo gallery: History of the YZR-M1: All MotoGP bikes from Yamaha since 2002
The focus is not only on short-term improvements. Yamaha is simultaneously preparing for the new MotoGP era from 2027, in which smaller engines, less aerodynamics, and a ban on devices will be introduced. For manufacturers, this means a complete realignment of their development work.
Read more Despite a 50-point lead: Mercedes dampens Antonelli expectations
New riders bring new impulses
A central part of the restart will also be the rider lineup. Yamaha confirmed a completely new duo for the 2027 season with Jorge Martin and Ai Ogura. Martin comes to the project as the 2024 MotoGP world champion and current top rider, while Ogura is considered one of the greatest talents of the new generation.
Meregalli sees this change as a great opportunity to bring new ideas into the factory team. “Next year will be a new year, and with two new riders, we are definitely very excited,” he says. At the same time, he appreciates the work of the two current factory riders Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins.
“Even the most beautiful things come to an end at some point, and we are ending this long journey with Fabio and Alex. We are very grateful to them for what they have done for us and how we have worked together,” emphasizes the team manager.
The change on the rider side is not just a personnel upheaval but can also create new dynamics within the entire project. “New riders, new rules, there are many new things, and that will definitely bring fresh air and new motivation,” Meregalli looks ahead optimistically.
Hope for a fresh start in 2027
For Yamaha, the 2027 season should therefore be more than just another attempt to reduce the gap to the competition. The manufacturer associates the new technical era with a fundamental realignment of the entire project. “We are all excited to start a completely new season because there are so many new things that are positive for everyone,” says Meregalli.
The current season therefore remains primarily a development year. Yamaha is collecting data, working on solutions, and trying to capitalize on its own difficulties.
Read more New IndyCar chassis: Driver and date for first test drives fixed
