Here’s a first look at the Yamaha YZR-M1 MotoGP V-four prototype in action at the 2025 Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia at Sepang International Circuit (SIC). First shown to the world ahead of the San Marino Grand Prix in September, the YZR-M1 is ridden for this weekend’s MotoGP round by wild-card entry Augusto Fernandez.
The Yamaha Factory Racing Team started their V-four prototype testing plan with a run on Friday during free practice, where Fernandez gathered further data for development. Although rain put a damper on proceedings, Fernández finished the morning session in 22nd place, completing 15 laps.
As Time Attack rolled around, Fernandez was keen to better his position but a crash in Turn 9 halted his progress. Fernandez recorded a 1’59.974 best lap time, 2.415 seconds off the pace from first place.
“I went into the weekend a bit optimistic, but this was a difficult first day. It was tricky because the grip was low. When you forget about this and the lap time and focus on the feeling, it was different from the one we had in Misano, but more similar to how I felt in the Barcelona and Brno tests. We were riding with a new geometry and electronics from Misano, so we were starting from scratch to find a new base,” said Fernandez.
The post Yamaha YZR-M1 V-four MotoGP prototype in Malaysia appeared first on Paul Tan's Automotive News.
