Has Yamaha entered the beginning of the end of its Fabio Quartararo MotoGP era?
Yamaha has launched its factory MotoGP team for the 2026 season, possibly its last with Fabio Quartararo.
The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP team has launched its 2026 season in Jakarta, Indonesia a week or so in advance of the first test of the season.
Yamaha will begin its 2026 season in Sepang on 29–31 January with the Shakedown test at the Malaysian circuit. The Iwata manufacturer is the only brand in MotoGP still in the bottom tier of the concessions structure which allows it to conduct private tests with its race riders, including the Sepang Shakedown.
In Jakarta, the team unveiled its new livery for the 2026 season, with some white added to the predominantly black livery, which retains the usual blue accents. There is some more blue around the front part of the fairing now as well.
The shape of the bike is slightly different, too, most notably with new front wings and a change to the shape of the tail. Of course, the new V4 engine also brings with it a new exhaust, with one pipe heading up to the back of the tail section, which is perhaps the most obvious visual change for Yamaha after 10 years of the short, slash-cut pipe it used with its inline-four.
The 2026 bike is one Yamaha will hope to provide Fabio Quartararo with enough belief in the project to commit to it beyond the end of this season, by when his current contract will have expired. As in previous renewal seasons, Quartararo will be in high demand in MotoGP, and it will be tough for Yamaha, which is likely to struggle for performance at least in the first half of 2026 with the new bike, to convince the Frenchman to stay when his and their last victory came three-and-a-half years ago in Germany 2022.
Alex Rins also remains with the team this year, and also present at the launch was Red Bull-backed Toprak Razgatlioglu, just a few days after his Pramac team launched in Italy last week. Should Quartararo leave, it could well be 2026 rookie and three-time WorldSBK Champion Razgatlioglu who steps up as Yamaha’s star rider in MotoGP from 2027.
