Monster Energy Yamaha officially unveiled its 2026 M1 and team livery at a factory presentation in Jakarta on Jan. 21, 2026, streaming the launch live. The new livery keeps Yamaha’s blue-and-black identity but shifts to a predominantly black design with Yamaha blue and added white accents, including more blue around the front fairing. Most notably, the factory revealed a modern-era V4-powered M1, ending Yamaha’s inline-four era that began with MotoGP’s four-stroke regulations in 2002; the V4 project began roughly two years ago, and the motor and chassis took more than a year of development. A V4 prototype ran late in 2025 in wildcard outings for test rider Augusto Fernández, who scored a point at Misano and appeared at Sepang and Valencia.

Yamaha and team officials presented the V4 as a technical reset intended to restore competitiveness, saying the new package should bring a return of “full” engine power and significant changes to handling and performance. They tempered immediate expectations, indicating the V4 represents a longer-term development direction whose full payoff may arrive over the coming seasons rather than instantly in 2026. Under the 2026 regulations, Yamaha sits in the most generous concession rank (D), giving it greater testing and development opportunities during the season. The factory plans to use the advantage with scheduled on-track checks at Sepang involving Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins alongside Pramac riders Jack Miller and Toprak Razgatlıoğlu.

The launch was framed around both technical ambition and urgent sporting needs. Yamaha has not won a premier-class race since mid-2022 and slipped toward the bottom of the manufacturers’ standings, prompting the change. Fabio Quartararo, retained for 2026, ended 2025 ninth with 201 points, including five poles, and Yamaha’s first podium in two years at Jerez. The Frenchman has stressed the need for a faster, more consistent package able to deliver regular top-3 and top-5 results after a string of setbacks, including a ride-height failure at Silverstone. Alex Rins, also kept by the factory, arrives after a difficult run through 2024–25. He finished 19th last year with a season-best seventh at Phillip Island, a far cry from his career best, which includes six MotoGP wins. Among them were the final inline-four premier-class victory (Valencia 2022) as well as a V4 win for Honda at COTA in 2023. With Quartararo’s contract situation and other rider options being discussed publicly, Yamaha positions 2026 as a development year for the V4 M1 aimed at rebuilding pace and reliability before a full return to consistent front-running results.

Marc Márquez’s stay at Ducati has shifted from likely to near-certain after his dominant 2025 season and subsequent reporting. He finished 2025 with 11 Grand Prix wins, 15 Sprint wins, eight poles, and 15 podiums, securing the world title with rounds to spare. Multiple outlets and Ducati’s presentation in Madonna di Campiglio have pushed the odds of a two-year extension to roughly 90 percent, with team and paddock comments saying Ducati aims to formalize the deal before the 2026 season, preferably after the Sepang tests in Kuala Lumpur. However, a small chance remains that he could stay with Honda.

Márquez himself has described a “9 out of 10” chance of renewal, and said he would not veto a teammate, before stating that staying with Ducati is his first option for 2027. He signalled he may delay a final decision while weighing professional and personal considerations, and confirmed that any move would be for two years. The “Ant of Cervera” noted that manufacturers are increasingly shaping rider placements, and said he is targeting a return to full fitness after the right-shoulder injury that ended his 2025 campaign.

Ducati’s push to lock Márquez in is already affecting its current lineup. Francesco Bagnaia, who struggled in 2025 and finished fifth in the standings, is under pressure, with reports suggesting a likely salary cut. It is also rumored that he’s considering offers from Honda or Yamaha if Ducati changes its pairing. The factory is publicly evaluating candidates for the other 2027 seat, with Pedro Acosta frequently named as the frontrunner. Acosta has been described as “very keen” to join Ducati, and the factory is said to reciprocate. Claims that Acosta has already been signed for 2027 circulated after comments from Massimo Rivola, and outlets have also mentioned Nicolò Bulega as a conditional option should he succeed in World Superbike. An Acosta arrival would reshape Ducati’s long-term pairing and could create the manufacturer’s first all-Spanish lineup, as the team balances sporting needs and commercial pressures while defending the title.

Those Ducati decisions are reverberating across the MotoGP market. Pundits and teams view Márquez’s signature as a pivotal trigger for a domino effect that could reconfigure seats involving riders such as Fabio Quartararo, Joan Mir, and Maverick Viñales. Marco Bezzecchi is widely expected to remain at Aprilia. Honda, having lost the prospect of Márquez’s return, is reported to be preparing an aggressive recruitment response described in the paddock as a “big, fat chequebook.” The Japanese outfit is said to be targeting names such as Pedro Acosta and David Alonso and, if necessary, promoting talent like Diogo Moreira from within. Journalists are also discussing retention or reshuffle possibilities for riders, including Luca Marini and Johann Zarco. With most top contracts expiring at the end of 2026 and new technical regulations due in 2027, teams and manufacturers are moving quickly; several commentators expect the two or three most sought-after 2027 deals to be settled well before the season opener in Buriram, setting the stage for an active silly season ahead of the 2026 season.