Yamaha's results may not yet reflect a return to the front of the MotoGP field, but the manufacturer believes its 2026 rebuilding project is heading in the right direction.
Pramac Yamaha team boss Gino Borsoi says being around 1.2 seconds off the pace is actually a positive sign, considering Yamaha is developing an entirely new V4-powered motorcycle after moving away from its long-standing inline-four engine concept.
The Japanese manufacturer has endured a difficult season so far, failing to score a podium after the opening 10 rounds and sitting fifth in the constructors' standings, 42 points behind Honda. However, Borsoi believes the current performance gap needs to be viewed in the context of Yamaha's major technical overhaul.
Speaking about the progress, Borsoi said the team has had to rethink its entire approach.
"A one-second or 1.2-second disadvantage is already an incredible result for Yamaha," he said.
"We need to completely rebuild our way of thinking. It's a completely new era for us."
Borsoi added that the team has exceeded his expectations compared to where Yamaha finished last season, describing the overall direction of development as encouraging.
Although engine performance remains the bike's biggest weakness, Borsoi believes other areas of the package have already reached a competitive level.
He pointed to the aerodynamics, electronics and chassis as clear strengths, saying the relatively small deficit to the leaders despite the lack of power demonstrates that those aspects of the bike are working well.
Yamaha showed flashes of that progress during the Dutch Grand Prix at Assen. Fabio Quartararo qualified just over half a second behind pole position, while the fastest Yamaha race lap was only around seven tenths slower than the quickest lap of the race.
Pramac rider Jack Miller also praised the front-end performance of the new machine, although he admitted the riders have had to push it to the limit to compensate for the engine's power deficit.
Yamaha entered the 2026 season expecting the first half of the campaign to be a learning period as it adapted to the new V4 project. While the results have yet to match the front-running manufacturers, the team believes the foundations are now in place for stronger performances as development continues through the remainder of the season.
