850cc MotoGP: “Maybe an Inline4 would not be a bad idea!” - Exclusive

For the first time since the start of the four-stroke era in 2002, MotoGP will feature an all-V4 grid next season.

Across most of the 24 seasons since 500cc two-strokes were phased out, competition between V and Inline engines has been relatively balanced.

In terms of riders’ titles, 14 have gone to V-powered machines, which have increasingly made up the majority of the grid; two for Honda’s V5 and then a further twelve for Honda and Ducati V4s.

Inline-powered bikes account for ten world championships, nine with Yamaha and one with Suzuki, when Joan Mir claimed the 2020 crown.

Fabio Quartararo then took Yamaha’s most recent MotoGP title in 2021, before Suzuki bowed out in style by winning two of its final three races in 2022.

Those would also prove the last Inline victories for the foreseeable future, with Yamaha confirming it will join Ducati, Aprilia, KTM and Honda in switching to a V4 for 2026.

Suzuki’s own MotoGP history underlines how sharply the landscape has changed. The Japanese factory previously struggled with its V4-powered GSV-R, before returning with an Inline engine for 2015.

Former MotoGP rider and World Superbike champion Sylvain Guintoli played a key role in developing the title-winning GSX-RR as Suzuki’s factory test and wild-card rider.

“Suzuki ran a V4 many years ago, then when they came back, they went for the Inline, which was during the time I was there,” Guintoli, now a MotoGP pundit for TNT Sports alongside his EWC commitments, told Crash.net.

“It obviously worked really well because they were able to win the title in 2020. And then Fabio won the title in ‘21. So there were two Inline4 titles in a row.

“It's only after that, that the domination started with the V4s.”

"Allowing riders to use more power than ever before"

Asked for his opinion on what triggered the V4 shift, Guintoli said:

“Well, for sure the aero, combined with the horsepower superiority of the V4, which you need because you've got the drag from all these wings and aero devices to push along the straights,” he said.

“Then with the ride-height devices, they are more drag bikes now, so that also helps with putting all that power down.

“When you drop the rear device, you've got more ability to use the power compared to a conventional bike, where the power has to be restricted until you're in fourth gear basically.

“So the aero, the ride-height devices and the overall grip - all of this made the bikes more efficient, let’s say, allowing the riders to use more power than ever before. I think that's why you get that little [V4] edge.”

That advantage, Guintoli believes, becomes even clearer as tyre grip drops during a race.

“In a racing situation, when the edge grip drops, you can't carry corner speed like before,” he explained.

“But with a V4 you can stop and turn the bike quickly at the apex, then use all that power once the bike is picked up.

“By doing that you lose less time than if you try to carry the corner speed [the strength of an Inline].

“So for me it's why things have edged that way… But it's not a given that this is still going to be the case when we have the new rules in 2027!”

“Maybe an Inline4 would not be a bad idea!”

And that’s the twist.

With MotoGP switching to smaller 850cc engines for 2027, ditching ride-height devices and moving to Pirelli rubber, the current V4 ‘edge’ from maximising the Michelin rear tyre might disappear.

“We'll see, but in ‘27 we're also going to have more natural bikes, without ride-height devices, with less aero, and it'll be interesting to see how that goes.

“Maybe an Inline4 would not be a bad idea!”

But with so much knowledge and data built around the V4, and even Yamaha making the switch in search of rear grip, no MotoGP manufacturer is known to be evaluating an Inline 850cc engine project - at least for now.

Sylvain Guintoli is preparing to run the 2026 London Marathon, wearing his racing leathers, in memory of his son Luca.

To support Guintoli in raising funds for children’s cancer charity PASIC, visit: https://2026tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/sylvain-guintoli