Yamaha reveals date and location for 2026 MotoGP livery launch
Yamaha has announced its 2026 launch event plans
The factory Yamaha MotoGP team has announced it will launch its 2026 season at an event in Jakarta, Indonesia, in mid-January ahead of testing.
The Japanese manufacturer enters a bold new era in 2026 as it gets set to race its first V4 bike in the modern era.
The new project was announced last year, with Yamaha confirming during the Valencia Grand Prix weekend that it was officially retiring its inline-four engine.
Next year is seen as a pivotal one for Yamaha’s future, as it hopes to put a bike on track in pre-season testing and the very early rounds good enough to convince 2021 world champion Fabio Quartararo to commit to the brand beyond 2026.
Quartararo scored a handful of podiums during a 2025 campaign in which he was a cut above the rest of the Yamaha stable, with the Frenchman cracking the top 10 in the standings.
He will join team-mate Alex Rins on 21 January in Jakarta at the Yamaha Indonesia Motor Manufacturing Dealer Meeting to unveil the new V4 bike’s livery for the 2026 season.
The brand will then likely be in action at the end of the month for the Sepang shakedown.
It is the only manufacturer entering the 2026 season in rank D of the concessions table, which means it can test freely during the year and not be subject to an engine development freeze.
Yamaha’s satellite squad, Pramac Racing, is set to be the first team to launch its 2026 season, after announcing an event in Siena, Italy, on 13 January.
The VR46 Ducati team will follow next on 14 January, as it teases a new livery reveal at an event in Rome.
Aprilia completes a hat-trick of team launches on 15 January in Milan, where Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi will unveil the colours of the 2026 RS-GP at the Sky studios.
Reigning champion Ducati will host its season launch event on 19 January in Italy’s Madonna di Campiglio with Marc Marquez and Pecco Bagnaia.
The only other team with a confirmed launch date so far is Gresini Racing, who will host an event on 31 January in Kuala Lumpur following the shakedown at Sepang.
MotoGP will also stage an official launch event for the 2026 season in the Malaysian capital on 6-7 February immediately after the first official test.
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