Yamaha MotoGP History

Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP is Yamaha’s wholly owned full Factory Team in MotoGP. The team was founded in 1999 following the retirement of Grand Prix racing legend Wayne Rainey, who had run a factory-supported team in the 500cc class for the previous two years. A new company – Yamaha Motor Racing B.V. (YMR) – was set up in the Netherlands to manage all but the technical side of Yamaha’s international racing activities and to run the team.

In 2005, Yamaha Motor Racing B.V. as a company completed the move from the Netherlands in order to create a single Yamaha MotoGP European operation in Italy (Yamaha Motor Racing Srl), strengthening and centralising the management of the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP team.

Yamaha Motor Racing Srl is based in Gerno di Lesmo (Italy), close to Monza. The workshop was rebuilt in 2008 and a state-of-the-art facility was opened, giving the team a superb new headquarters with all technical, logistical, managerial, and marketing & communications departments under one roof.

General Manager Motor Sports Development Division of Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. Takahiro Sumi was appointed President of Yamaha Motor Racing Srl in 2022. This was also when the year the YMR workshop’s interior was further updated at the end of year, giving the engineers more space to work with.

In 2024, a change in management structure meant the responsibility for the technical aspects of MotoGP became shared between Yamaha’s MotoGP Group in Japan and the Italian MotoGP branch of Yamaha Motor Racing. Takahiro Sumi started working closely with newly-appointed Yamaha YZR-M1 Project Leader Kazuhiro Masuda. Additionally, Massimo Bartolini took on the role of Yamaha Factory Racing Technical Director, strengthening the collaboration between the two companies.

2025 marked the start of a new era for YMR. Paolo Pavesio took over the roles of Yamaha Motor Racing Managing Director and Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team Principal from Lin Jarvis, who had held these positions since the start of Yamaha Factory Racing in 1999 until the end of 2024. Jarvis remained involved with YMR as Senior Advisor until the end of 2025. Massimo Meregalli completes the YMR management as Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team Director of the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP team, a position he has held since 2011. He also acts as the Yamaha Motor Racing Sport Manager.

The 2025 season was characterised by intensive bike development. While competing with the 2025 M1, Yamaha simultaneously advanced the development of its 2026 V4-powered prototype and initiated the first steps toward the 2027 machine in line with the upcoming MotoGP regulation changes. The 2026 bike was completed in record time, and development efforts will continue throughout 2026.

This year, the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team will again take on the prestigious MotoGP World Championship with riders Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins. They are joined by fellow factory team Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP’s Jack Miller and new recruit Toprak Razgatlıoğlu. Moreover, the BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 Team will continue its Moto2 class quest, having ended 2025 on a high with Izan Guevara securing a stunning victory in Valencia. Guevara stays on for 2026, and the team welcomes to the garage rising Spanish star Alberto Ferrández, who will make his world championship debut.

The MotoGP teams will be joined on track occasionally by the Yamaha Factory Racing Team (Yamaha’s official MotoGP test team) this season, during test and wild card opportunities.

Furthermore, Yamaha Motor Company continues to mark its 70th anniversary until July 2026. Fans can keep looking forward to Yamaha celebrating its rich racing heritage that is so deeply ingrained in the companies’ DNA.

Yamaha Factory Racing Statistics

2025

Fabio Quartararo (FRA) – 9th MotoGP World Championship, 0 wins and 1 podium
Álex Rins (SPA) – 19th MotoGP World Championship, 0 wins and 0 podiums
Jack Miller (AUS) – 17th MotoGP World Championship, 0 wins and 0 podiums
Miguel Oliveira (POR) – 20th MotoGP World Championship, 0 wins and 0 podiums

2024

Fabio Quartararo (FRA) – 13th MotoGP World Championship, 0 wins and 0 podiums
Álex Rins (SPA) – 18th MotoGP World Championship, 0 wins and 0 podiums

2023

Fabio Quartararo (FRA) – 10th MotoGP World Championship, 0 wins and 3 podiums
Franco Morbidelli (ITA) – 13th MotoGP World Championship, 0 wins and 0 podiums

2022

Fabio Quartararo (FRA) – 2nd MotoGP World Championship, 3 wins and 8 podiums
Franco Morbidelli (ITA) – 19th MotoGP World Championship, 0 wins and 0 podiums

2021

Fabio Quartararo (FRA) – 1st MotoGP World Championship, 5 wins and 10 podiums
Maverick Viñales (SPA) – 1 win and 2 podiums
Cal Crutchlow (GBR) – 0 wins and 0 podiums
Franco Morbidelli (ITA) – 17th MotoGP World Championship, 0 wins and 1 podium

2020

Maverick Viñales (SPA) – 6th MotoGP World Championship, 1 win and 3 podiums
Valentino Rossi (ITA) – 15th MotoGP World Championship, 0 wins and 1 podium

2019

Maverick Viñales (SPA) – 3th MotoGP World Championship, 2 wins and 7 podiums
Valentino Rossi (ITA) – 7th MotoGP World Championship, 0 wins and 2 podiums

2018

Valentino Rossi (ITA) – 3rd MotoGP World Championship, 0 wins and 5 podiums
Maverick Viñales (SPA) – 4th MotoGP World Championship, 1 win and 5 podiums

2017

Maverick Viñales (SPA) – 3rd MotoGP World Championship, 3 wins and 7 podiums
Valentino Rossi (ITA) – 5th MotoGP World Championship, 1 win and 6 podiums
Yamaha’s 500th Grand Prix Win – Rounds 5: Le Mans (Maverick Viñales)

2016

Valentino Rossi (ITA) – 2nd MotoGP World Championship, 2 wins and 10 podiums
Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) – 3rd MotoGP World Championship, 4 wins and 10 podiums
Team World Champion

2015

Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) – 1st MotoGP World Championship, 7 wins and 12 podiums
Valentino Rossi (ITA) – 2nd MotoGP World Championship, 4 wins and 15 podiums
Constructors World Champion - Team World Champion

2014

Valentino Rossi (ITA) – 2nd MotoGP World Championship, 2 wins and 13 podiums
Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) – 3rd MotoGP World Championship, 2 wins and 11 podiums

2013

Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) - 2nd MotoGP World Championship, 8 wins and 14 podiums
Valentino Rossi (ITA) - 4th MotoGP World Championship, 1 win and 6 podiums

2012

Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) - 1st MotoGP World Championship, 6 wins and 16 podiums
Ben Spies (USA) - 10th MotoGP World Championship, 0 win and 0 podiums

2011

Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) - 2nd MotoGP World Championship, 3 wins and 10 podiums
Ben Spies (USA) - 5th MotoGP World Championship, 1 win and 4 podiums

2010

Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) - 1st MotoGP World Championship, 9 wins and 16 podiums
Valentino Rossi (ITA) - 3rd MotoGP World Championship, 2 wins and 10 podiums
Constructors World Champion - Team World Champion

2009

Valentino Rossi (ITA) - 1st MotoGP World Championship, 6 wins and 13 podiums
Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) - 2nd MotoGP World Championship, 4 wins and 12 podiums
Constructors World Champion - Team World Champion

2008

Valentino Rossi (ITA) – 1st MotoGP World Championship, 9 wins and 16 podiums
Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) – 4th MotoGP World Championship, 1 win and 6 podiums
Constructors World Champion - Team World Champion

2007

Valentino Rossi (ITA) - 3rd MotoGP World Championship, 4 wins and 8 podiums
Colin Edwards (USA) - 9th MotoGP World Championship, 0 wins and 2 podiums

2006

Valentino Rossi (ITA) – 2nd MotoGP World Championship, 5 wins and 10 podiums
Colin Edwards (USA) – 7th MotoGP World Championship, 0 wins and 1 podium

2005

Valentino Rossi (ITA) – 1st MotoGP World Championship, 11 wins and 16 podiums
Colin Edwards (USA) – 4th MotoGP World Championship, 0 wins and 3 podiums
Team World Champion

2004

Valentino Rossi (ITA) – 1st MotoGP World Championship, 9 wins and 11 podiums
Carlos Checa (SPA) – 7th MotoGP World Championship, 0 wins and 1 podium
Team World Champion

2003

Carlos Checa (SPA) – 7th MotoGP World Championship, 0 wins and 0 podiums
Marco Melandri (ITA) – 15th MotoGP World Championship, 0 wins and 0 podiums

2002

Max Biaggi (ITA) – 2nd MotoGP World Championship, 2 wins and 8 podiums
Carlos Checa (SPA) – 5th MotoGP World Championship, 0 wins and 4 podiums

2001

Max Biaggi (ITA) – 2nd 500cc World Championship, 3 wins and 9 podiums
Carlos Checa (SPA) – 6th 500cc World Championship, 0 wins and 3 podiums

2000

Max Biaggi (ITA) – 3rd 500cc World Championship, 2 wins and 4 podiums
Carlos Checa (SPA) – 6th 500cc World Championship, 0 wins and 4 podiums

1999

Max Biaggi (ITA) – 4th 500cc World Championship, 1 win and 7 podiums
Carlos Checa (SPA) – 7th 500cc World Championship, 0 wins and 1 podium