PAOLO PAVESIO SAYS YAMAHA MUST TURN 2026 STRUGGLES INTO 2027 RESULTS

Yamaha’s 2026 season has been marked by frustration both on the track and in the relationship between the factory and its riders, and team boss Paolo Pavesio says the organisation is now focused on turning that “pain” into results in 2027.

The Iwata outfit’s problems have been tied to slow progress with the YZR-M1 and its V4 engine, leaving Yamaha riders with a difficult year. Fabio Quartararo, the 2021 champion and one of the team’s central figures, is currently 15th in the standings and, according to Pavesio’s account, is “completely done with the manufacturer.” The situation has also been strained by testing decisions: Yamaha did not allow Quartararo to test the 850cc bike ahead of the 2027 Pirelli tyre programme, a move that has added further friction.

With Quartararo set to leave for Honda next year, and Alex Rins and Jack Miller also departing, Yamaha will be rebuilding its rider line-up around new arrivals. Pavesio confirmed that Jorge Martin and Ai Ogura will join the team in 2027, while Izan Guevara moves to Pramac. Only Toprak Razgatlioglu is staying in the Yamaha ecosystem, remaining with Pramac.

The factory’s internal challenges have not gone unnoticed. Miller has publicly criticised Yamaha’s approach, saying the bike has not given Razgatlioglu the “cards” to shine in his rookie MotoGP season. Pavesio acknowledged the wider context of Yamaha’s struggles and framed the 2027 project as a deliberate attempt to move forward from a season that has been painful for the brand.

In negotiations, Pavesio said he was transparent with Martin and Ogura about where Yamaha stands and what the plan involves. Speaking on the Paddock Pass Podcast, he said the goal was to convince the riders by being open about the journey: “The target was to convince them, of course, because if you can imagine, for the level of rider, they are our priority.” He added that the discussions were built on honesty and clarity, even if some aspects were not yet fully visible early in the season: “It was to be transparent, honest, explaining the journey, explaining what we were doing. Of course it was a bit early in the season, so certain things were maybe not very visible, but they both know what is the plan very clearly.”

Pavesio’s message to the new signings was that 2027 is the moment Yamaha must start extracting value from the investment made during 2026. He described the coming year as the first where the team needs to “capitalise” on the work already done, saying: “They know that ’27, it’s going to be the first year where we need to capitalise [on] the ‘26 investment and, if I can call it like this, pain.” He also stressed Yamaha’s ambition to return to fighting for victories and podiums, with the championship as the next objective: “we are a brand that wants to be back to be capable to fight for victories or podiums. Then winning the title is [the] next step. Yeah. But yeah, this is our ultimate goal.”

Pavesio also spoke about the personal and sporting factors behind the negotiations, describing a “connection” with Martin. He suggested that critics of Yamaha may change their tone once they see the 2027 machine, and he said he feels the riders have bought into the project. On Martin specifically, Pavesio said: “I think for Ai, the Japanese brand and being a Japanese factory rider representing Japan was a factor.” He added that Ogura’s path to factory status was important to him, and that the talks moved quickly.

For Martin, Pavesio pointed to the shared history of Yamaha’s Honda-era dominance and the value of being part of a rebuilding mission. He said: “Jorge, all those riders, they’ve been growing when we were dominating the championship together with Honda.” He continued: “I think what we have been representing, and we want to go back representing in this industry in MotoGP, has a value for him,” and described the opportunity as “something really plugged in now.”

Pavesio concluded by saying that while he hopes Martin stays focused on his immediate responsibilities, the team felt alignment in what they want to achieve together: “I hope he stays concentrated on what he has to do, but yeah, with Jorge, I don’t say it’s been easy, because those kind of things are never easy, but we felt some connection in the idea of what we’d like to achieve together.”