Augusto Fernandez may have finished last in his wildcard MotoGP appearance at Brno, but the Yamaha test rider still found positives — particularly in matching or bettering the fastest laps of two fellow Yamaha riders.
After serving a long lap penalty from a Sprint clash with Takaaki Nakagami, Fernandez focused on race mileage and data collection before returning to testing in Barcelona, where Yamaha’s V4 prototype is expected to be back on track.
Factory rider Fabio Quartararo has already suggested the V4’s characteristics could solve current braking limitations, allowing more use of the rear tyre. Fernandez confirmed the focus is on avoiding the same issues the inline-four M1 has faced.
“It’s still early, but the aim is clear — we need to accelerate development if we want to race the V4 next year,” said Fernandez. “It’s not the full package yet, but the potential looks better than our current bike.”
The V4 project remains in its infancy, with the first chassis and a detuned engine still undergoing evaluation. Yamaha has not yet committed to replacing the M1 for 2026, the final season before new MotoGP engine rules, but development is now heavily weighted towards the V4.
Fernandez, who has prior V4 experience with KTM, is working alongside Andrea Dovizioso to refine the bike, which Yamaha insists will be a “particular V4” in its own style. The coming months will be key in deciding whether it replaces the inline-four — and if Fernandez will get the chance to race it as a wildcard before the end of 2025.
