Yamaha will return to the track on the final day of the official Sepang MotoGP Test after suspending running on Wednesday to investigate a technical issue with its new V4 engine.
The factory halted all on-track activity after Fabio Quartararo encountered an unspecified technical problem late on the opening day. As a precaution, Yamaha chose to stop running entirely while it carried out further checks.
Yamaha technical director Max Bartolini explained that the issue was not immediately clear and that rider safety was the main reason behind the decision to pause testing. He said the team wanted to fully understand the problem before allowing the bikes back on track, both for Yamaha’s riders and for others sharing the circuit.
Overnight investigations were conducted between Yamaha’s bases in Japan and Italy, leading to a decision to resume testing on Thursday. In a statement released on Thursday morning, Yamaha confirmed that, based on the findings so far, it would continue its on-track programme at Sepang.
Quartararo will not take part in the final day after breaking a finger in a fast lowside crash at Turn 5 on Tuesday. However, the rest of Yamaha’s line-up is expected to ride, including Monster Yamaha’s Alex Rins, Pramac Yamaha riders Jack Miller and Toprak Razgatlioglu, as well as test riders Augusto Fernandez and Andrea Dovizioso.
It remains unclear whether Yamaha will need to take precautionary measures with the V4, such as limiting engine performance, given that its output is already considered behind that of rival manufacturers. Bartolini also confirmed that the technical issue being investigated was not connected to Quartararo’s earlier crash.
Quartararo is expected to return to action at the final pre-season MotoGP test in Buriram on February 21–22.
