With Suzuki leaving MotoGP, only one manufacturer in the championship will not have a V4 engine in 2023: Yamaha. For the time being, the Japanese manufacturer will stick to its inline four-cylinder concept.
Kazutoshi Seki, project leader of the Yamaha YZR-M1, assured the press conference that at the moment the bet is on the current concept: ‘I believe we have room to improve the inline four-cylinder engine. We try to maximize the potential of an in-line four-cylinder. When we decide that there is no more margin, of course we will think about another type of engine.’
Asked if there was a chance that in the future Yamaha would abandon its current path and go for a V4 engine, he explained that there are many factors to consider in the development equation:
– I think that not only the V4, but also MSMA’s future path to sustainability, this should be considered. Not only the short term, but also the medium term and long term development. So we try to control these kinds of situations. It is very difficult.