Yamaha has unveiled its new V4-powered M1 MotoGP prototype ahead of its race debut at this weekend’s San Marino Grand Prix. The Japanese manufacturer took the covers off the bike, which was painted in a predominantly blue livery, at its hospitality unit in the Misano paddock on Thursday.
Although Yamaha’s V4 challenger has been in testing for several months, all previous outings took place behind closed doors, making this the first time it was shown in public.
The bike will now make its debut race appearance on Sunday, with test rider Augusto Fernandez at the helm. Yamaha’s star rider Fabio Quartararo already sampled the bike in a private test at Barcelona on Monday, and is expected to receive another outing in the forthcoming Dorna test at Misano on Monday.
This marks a significant step in Yamaha’s MotoGP development, as the V4 engine is set to replace the current inline-four configuration in future seasons.