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Yamaha insists MotoGP rider changes not affecting motivation
Massimo Meregalli is convinced Yamaha’s current MotoGP riders have high motivation despite both being expected to leave in 2027.
Factory Yamaha team manager Massimo Meregalli is sure that rider changes expected for 2027 are not affecting the motivation of the brand’s current riders.
Both Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins are expected to depart the factory Yamaha team at the end of the 2026 MotoGP season.
Quartararo’s rumoured move to HRC for the first year of the 850cc regulations was first reported during winter testing in February, although it still isn’t official. Likewise, a move for Jorge Martin from Aprilia to Yamaha was reported soon after the Quartararo rumours emerged, but has still not been officially confirmed.
On the other hand, Rins confirmed ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix that he will leave the team at the end of this season after reports during April suggested Yamaha had signed Ai Ogura for its second factory seat for next season. Again, the signing of Ogura has not yet been made official.
The knowledge for a rider that they are leaving a team seven months in advance of that event could be reasonably expected to have an effect on motivation since there is a clear end date set for the current relationship.
However, Monster Energy Yamaha team manager Massimo Meregalli is sure that his team and riders remain motivated for what remains of the 2026 MotoGP season.
“The team itself is motivated,” Meregalli told the MotoGP world feed broadcast during FP1 in Jerez.
“When there is things new, [they are] bringing motivation to everyone.
“It may be unclear about the rider, it doesn’t mean that the motivation is not there. The riders themselves are always pushing.
“At the end, they are racers, they are professional, and the team is professional, and we will work until the end of the season together to try to maximise the results as much as we can.”
Yamaha also has its test rider, Augusto Fernandez, at Jerez as a wildcard. Meregalli explained that there are new items for Yamaha this weekend that it has begun using already and that Fernandez will be able to help in progressing through the programme.
“We are here with new materials,” said Meregalli.
“We already started using a bit of the new materials, we have for sure to test all we brought here on Monday. Likely also the wildcard will help us to advance some jobs.
“As you know, we’re just wanting to anticipate this project to be in advance next year when everything will be new.
“For sure the journey is a bit tougher than what we expect, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t give our maximum until we start to see good results.”
Jack Miller was the top Yamaha rider in FP1 at Jerez, finishing seventh. Fabio Quartararo was the fastest rider from the factory team in 20th, one place ahead of Alex Rins.
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Massimo Meregalli is convinced Yamaha’s current MotoGP riders have high motivation despite both being expected to leave in 2027.
Factory Yamaha team manager Massimo Meregalli is sure that rider changes expected for 2027 are not affecting the motivation of the brand’s current riders.
Both Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins are expected to depart the factory Yamaha team at the end of the 2026 MotoGP season.
Quartararo’s rumoured move to HRC for the first year of the 850cc regulations was first reported during winter testing in February, although it still isn’t official. Likewise, a move for Jorge Martin from Aprilia to Yamaha was reported soon after the Quartararo rumours emerged, but has still not been officially confirmed.
On the other hand, Rins confirmed ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix that he will leave the team at the end of this season after reports during April suggested Yamaha had signed Ai Ogura for its second factory seat for next season. Again, the signing of Ogura has not yet been made official.
The knowledge for a rider that they are leaving a team seven months in advance of that event could be reasonably expected to have an effect on motivation since there is a clear end date set for the current relationship.
However, Monster Energy Yamaha team manager Massimo Meregalli is sure that his team and riders remain motivated for what remains of the 2026 MotoGP season.
“The team itself is motivated,” Meregalli told the MotoGP world feed broadcast during FP1 in Jerez.
“When there is things new, [they are] bringing motivation to everyone.
“It may be unclear about the rider, it doesn’t mean that the motivation is not there. The riders themselves are always pushing.
“At the end, they are racers, they are professional, and the team is professional, and we will work until the end of the season together to try to maximise the results as much as we can.”
Yamaha also has its test rider, Augusto Fernandez, at Jerez as a wildcard. Meregalli explained that there are new items for Yamaha this weekend that it has begun using already and that Fernandez will be able to help in progressing through the programme.
“We are here with new materials,” said Meregalli.
“We already started using a bit of the new materials, we have for sure to test all we brought here on Monday. Likely also the wildcard will help us to advance some jobs.
“As you know, we’re just wanting to anticipate this project to be in advance next year when everything will be new.
“For sure the journey is a bit tougher than what we expect, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t give our maximum until we start to see good results.”
Jack Miller was the top Yamaha rider in FP1 at Jerez, finishing seventh. Fabio Quartararo was the fastest rider from the factory team in 20th, one place ahead of Alex Rins.
Factory Yamaha team manager Massimo Meregalli is sure that rider changes expected for 2027 are not affecting the motivation of the brand’s current riders.
Both Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins are expected to depart the factory Yamaha team at the end of the 2026 MotoGP season.
Quartararo’s rumoured move to HRC for the first year of the 850cc regulations was first reported during winter testing in February, although it still isn’t official. Likewise, a move for Jorge Martin from Aprilia to Yamaha was reported soon after the Quartararo rumours emerged, but has still not been officially confirmed.
On the other hand, Rins confirmed ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix that he will leave the team at the end of this season after reports during April suggested Yamaha had signed Ai Ogura for its second factory seat for next season. Again, the signing of Ogura has not yet been made official.
The knowledge for a rider that they are leaving a team seven months in advance of that event could be reasonably expected to have an effect on motivation since there is a clear end date set for the current relationship.
However, Monster Energy Yamaha team manager Massimo Meregalli is sure that his team and riders remain motivated for what remains of the 2026 MotoGP season.
“The team itself is motivated,” Meregalli told the MotoGP world feed broadcast during FP1 in Jerez.
“When there is things new, [they are] bringing motivation to everyone.
“It may be unclear about the rider, it doesn’t mean that the motivation is not there. The riders themselves are always pushing.
“At the end, they are racers, they are professional, and the team is professional, and we will work until the end of the season together to try to maximise the results as much as we can.”
Yamaha also has its test rider, Augusto Fernandez, at Jerez as a wildcard. Meregalli explained that there are new items for Yamaha this weekend that it has begun using already and that Fernandez will be able to help in progressing through the programme.
“We are here with new materials,” said Meregalli.
“We already started using a bit of the new materials, we have for sure to test all we brought here on Monday. Likely also the wildcard will help us to advance some jobs.
“As you know, we’re just wanting to anticipate this project to be in advance next year when everything will be new.
“For sure the journey is a bit tougher than what we expect, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t give our maximum until we start to see good results.”
Jack Miller was the top Yamaha rider in FP1 at Jerez, finishing seventh. Fabio Quartararo was the fastest rider from the factory team in 20th, one place ahead of Alex Rins.
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