Yamaha MotoGP V4 “much better already” in key area over inline-four

The “main issue” of the inline-four Yamaha YZR-M1 is “already” improved on by the in-development V4-powered MotoGP bike from the Iwata factory, according to Augusto Fernandez.

Fernandez is racing the V4 for the first time this weekend at the San Marino MotoGP, and finished the opening day of practice 1.198 seconds behind the fastest lap of Practice, set by factory Ducati rider Marc Marquez, and one place ahead of 20th-fastest Alex Rins of the Monster Energy Yamaha team.

Fernandez said that the V4-powered bike is already better than the inline-four in one specific area, but that the inline-four still has advantages over the new bike.

“To get the good things that we have on the standard bike, that we have some very positive things there, they are still a little bit better [...] than the V4 right now,” Augusto Fernandez explained after Practice in Misano.

“But we improved a lot the rear part. The main issue on the standard bike was the rear part – grip and management of the grip. This is much better already, since the beginning, and now we are trying to find the balance of the bike to make the front work as the standard, to get everything together and make the best of it.”

Fernandez had a technical problem in FP1. He said that it was an “electronic thing”.

“The bike stopped for safety reasons,” he said.

“The electronic thing, the sensor was not reading properly and it stopped for safety reasons.”

In any case, he was able to continue with the plan set out for the day that included “big changes”.

“I had some issues in the morning, but thank God nothing too serious and we could continue with the plan, with the work we had planned,” Augusto Fernandez said after Practice in Misano.

“It was the first time that every change and every change of setup and what we were trying, that we had in mind from the test. 

“Honestly we've been struggling here the last time we were here testing. It was the first time that we were struggling with the bike and setup-wise and the balance and everything. 

“So, we had some big things in mind, we did it in the morning and in the afternoon. It was like a test day, like big changes and it worked.”

The Spanish rider was asked if the engine he used on Friday at the race was different to what he had tested with.

“A little bit,” Fernandez said, before expanding that he was hoping that he could be competitive with the new engine.

“We didn't know what to expect coming to the weekend in terms of lap times and I was praying to be competitive at least with someone. 

“To have a funny weekend in terms of some fight and everything. But no, in the end we are here about the feelings and trying to improve the bike and we had both. 

“We are competitive and also improve a lot the feelings.”

First time attack

The limitation of tyres for testing in MotoGP that was introduced as part of the current concessions system – from which Yamaha has benefitted and to which it can owe its ability to race an entirely different engine configuration to that which it has used since the start of the season – means that dedicating time to qualifying simulations in testing is tricky.

As such, Fernandez’s time attack at the end of Practice in San Marino was his first with the V4-powered bike. This is how he explained his crash at turn two on his second run.

“I did a small mistake on the second time attack because, honestly, today was the first real time attack that we did with this bike,” he said.

“With a soft tyre, not a lot of fuel; a real time attack and it was not bad. So, I felt good coming into the second tyre and [I pushed] too much.”

The Spaniard revealed that this turn two crash was the first to happen with the V4.

“It can happen and also, it's the first crash with the V4, first crash ever,” he said.

“So, it's part of the process. In the end, we need to crash to find the limits and, in the end, I'm starting to feel good and I'm starting to push and I saw the first 1:31 here and I wanted a little bit more. 

“I was close to improve and it can happen. So, it was not big. So, this is the limit.”

Fernandez added that track conditions can prevent riders from trying time attacks at private tests.

“It's not easy,” he said. “ We were discussing this because it's true, but it's not easy because the track, they are not always safe to do a time attack, a proper time attack, like here in the GPs because you don't find the same grip, conditions, the kerbs. 

“When I was here [testing at Misano], I couldn't use the kerbs because they were super slippery. So go out and do a time attack, you don't really, it's too risky. 

“So, sometimes I understand that we don't do a proper time attack. 

“It's nice to do some to understand where we are, but in the end, we more or less understand where we are without doing it.”