Yamaha: a start to forget
In a period of clear crisis for Yamaha, already noted during pre-season testing with the V4 engine, the first GP of the 2026 world championship in Thailand confirmed the difficulties of the Iwata manufacturer’s M1s, both for the factory team and for Pramac, its satellite team. With all its riders outside the top-10, the only positive note (if it can be defined as such) came for this season’s rookie, as well as the reigning Superbike world champion: Toprak Razgatlioglu.
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The main problems
In the direct challenge with his teammate Jack Miller, more experienced in MotoGP, the Turkish rider crossed the finish line in 17° place, just ahead of the Australian: “It was my first full race in MotoGP and, obviously, I was hoping for a better result – he commented – but it was a long and very demanding race: 26 laps in that heat are physically demanding. We had obvious rear grip problems, especially during the race, but I don’t want to blame anyone else. I know I still have a lot to learn and, at the same time, we know that Yamaha is working hard to improve the package. The grip was rather limited throughout the race and it seemed to be a situation common to all Yamaha riders, as we were racing very close together. Now we focus on the next race. I know I will give my best and I know the whole team will do the same.”
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Final 18° place (penultimate among the riders who crossed the finish line) which cannot satisfy Jack Miller in any way, in his second year at Pramac: “Obviously it wasn’t the race we hoped for. Overall, the bike itself didn’t perform badly over the distance and physically I felt good, but from the start I realized we had a problem with the rear tire. I tried to manage it as best I could – short shifts, smoothness, waiting to pick up the bike on exit – but as the laps went by it became increasingly difficult. In the end the tire was completely worn in the center and on the straights I couldn’t use more than a quarter throttle. It was a difficult situation to manage. Anyway, it was our first full race with the V4. It didn’t go as we wanted, but the important thing is that all four bikes finished and we gathered a lot of information. It’s a base to start from and there’s plenty of room for improvement ahead of Brazil.”
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