PICTURES: Yamaha debuts new V4 front wing at Sepang MotoGP Shakedown
Yamaha’s new MotoGP front wing takes to the track at the Sepang Shakedown.
After starting the Sepang MotoGP Shakedown with all of its riders on last year’s tri-plane front wing, Yamaha’s new V4 front aero has made its public debut.
The revised wing - which follows the rectangular-box style of its rivals and was first revealed at the recent factory team launch - has been seen on track with Fabio Quartararo, Monster Yamaha team-mate Alex Rins, Pramac’s Jack Miller and test rider Andrea Dovizioso.
Dovizioso also has a pitot tube fitted to the front of his bike, in the image above.
"We tried a similar [front wing] concept on the previous [Inline] bike, but because of the bike’s dimensions and [increased] width, it was less effective than the tri-plane," Monster Yamaha team director Massimo Meregalli told Crash.net at the recent launch.
“With the new V4, we discovered in the wind tunnel that this aero package works much better.”
The only Yamaha rider not yet seen trying the new front wing is rookie Toprak Razgatlioglu, who is also the only M1 rider without any rear seat aero this week.
Perhaps the reigning WorldSBK champion prefers to feel more movement at the rear while he learns the M1. Meanwhile, the other Yamahas are all running a full 'wing plus vertical stegosaurs' rear set-up:
As well as the Yamaha rear aero, the old-style M1 front wing can be seen on Quartararo's bike in the image above.
With a few hours of testing to go, Quartararo is currently the fastest Yamaha rider, but half a second behind KTM's Pol Espargaro, with Honda's Aleix Espargaro in between.
Jack Miller riding with the latest Yamaha V4 front wing on the final day of the Sepang Shakedown.
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