Five-time MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo slams Yamaha riders, particularly Fabio Quartararo, over criticism of the new V4 bike.
Yamaha’s V4 project is still in its early stages of development after the Japanese marque announced its decision to switch from an inline-4 to a V4 for the 2026 season.
After finishing 14th, 15th, 17th and 18th in the 2026 season opener in Thailand, Yamaha remained rooted to the back of the grid, with Pramac’s Jack Miller crossing the line over 47 seconds behind winner Marco Bezzecchi.
Lorenzo argues that criticism of Yamaha’s riders is unwarranted, stressing that the V4 project will require multiple years of data collection before its true performance can be realised.
“It was necessary for the future, but it’s impossible to change philosophy after 20 years and be competitive right away,” shared Lorenzo to GPone.
“They will sacrifice this season and maybe even the next one to be stronger in the next 5-10 years.
“What I don’t like is the overly harsh criticism from the riders, especially Fabio: Yamaha is here to sell bikes, and those who are paid a lot can’t speak badly about the project.”
Yamaha has already admitted that 2026 will be seen as a key year of gathering data before the 2027 850cc regulation change.
The project had already seen testing reduced in Sepang, and in Thailand none of the riders addressed the media post-race, leaving Yamaha boss Paolo Pavesio to face questions instead.
Quartararo revealed after practice at the Chang International Circuit that he cannot see a “clear direction” in the V4’s development, though he expects a new engine will not arrive until Le Mans in May.