Our commitment in MotoGP
TotalEnergies and MotoGP
MotoGP is the most prestigious motorbike championship in the world because it brings together the best riders in the world and the bikes used are innovative prototypes. The technological challenge is crucial and forces the teams to remain at the cutting edge of research and development.
Since 2024, technical regulations have required participants to use fuel composed of 40% non-fossil-derived molecules, meaning it does not come from petroleum refining. This implies that 40% of the carbon contained in the fuel must be the C14 isotope.
TotalEnergies has signed a multi-year technical partnership agreement with Yamaha to become the Japanese manufacturer’s exclusive fuel supplier in MotoGP for its Yamaha Monster Energy and Prima Pramac Yamaha teams, with official supplier status for the Yamaha Monster Energy team. The fuel supplied was specifically developed for the YZR-M1 engine, thanks to close collaboration between the engineering teams of TotalEnergies and Yamaha Motor Co. It was designed to maximize engine power while minimizing fuel consumption. This solution is based on TotalEnergies’ most advanced technologies, notably its “Excellium” additive technology.
If competition is of such strong interest to TotalEnergies’ chemists and engineers, it is because it represents an outstanding test bench for fuels and lubricants. MotoGP is an especially exciting experimental field since manufacturers do not all use the same fuel. Products specifically adapted to the characteristics of different engines and to each manufacturer’s requirements must therefore be developed. The engineers’ work consists in understanding the manufacturers’ mechanical issues and interpreting them in order to transform them into chemical formulations.
The official Yamaha team has achieved a great number of successes in MotoGP. While Giacomo Agostini gave the Japanese brand its first premier class title in 1975, six other riders have won with Yamaha: Kenny Roberts (1978, 1979 and 1980), Eddie Lawson (1984 and 1986), Wayne Rainey (1990, 1991 and 1992), Valentino Rossi (2004, 2005, 2008 and 2009), Jorge Lorenzo (2010, 2012 and 2015) and Fabio Quartararo (2021). The latter, who remains the spearhead of the Yamaha Monster Energy team, is now teamed up with Alex Rins.
Last year, the Japanese manufacturer strengthened its line-up with the arrival of Paolo Campinoti's Prima Pramac team. World champions in 2024 with Ducati and Jorge Martin, the Italian team led by Gino Borsoi has decided to take on a new challenge. This year, Jack Miller and Toprak Razgatlioglu are joining forces with Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins.
The stakes for 2026
With the introduction of new technical regulations in 2027 approaching, racing departments have gradually slowed down the development of current machines. The regulatory freeze on engines has already limited the possibilities for evolution, with the exception of Yamaha, which still benefits from D-rank concessions. Winter testing has nevertheless shown that work is continuing on aerodynamic elements. Even though their dimensions must be reduced next year, fairings and seats have become key performance factors. Airflow management, in particular, improves braking stability and cornering speed. At Ducati, work has focused on improving the GP25, which can sometimes be tricky for its riders. The Italian brand is counting on the Marquez brothers, who were very prominent last season, while hoping for a return to the forefront for Francesco Bagnaia. Despite struggling in 2025, the two-time MotoGP world champion still has the confidence of his team. Ducati will also be able to count on Fermin Aldeguer, rider for the Gresini team, who won his first MotoGP race last year when he was new to the category. With three teams, six riders and a GP26 that should remain one of the most consistent bikes on the grid, the Borgo Panigale manufacturer is approaching this final season of the 1000cc era with confidence. Aprilia, meantime, hopes to build on its recent progress. The Italian manufacturer is counting on Marco Bezzecchi, who had a solid first season riding the RS-GP, as well as the return of Jorge Martin, the 2024 world champion, who was hampered last year by a series of misfortunes. As the third European manufacturer involved, KTM hopes to close the gap with the two Italian brands. Last season was marked by the Austrian group's financial difficulties, which weighed heavily on the competition department. Deprived of technical developments and concerned about the future of the brand, Brad Binder, Pedro Acosta, Maverick Viñales and Enea Bastianini took a while to find their rhythm. Now financially supported by the Indian group Bajaj, KTM has relaunched the development of the RC16, which has not won for nearly four years. The official team will be counting on the ambitions of Pedro Acosta, who is still chasing his first MotoGP win, while the Tech3 team, led by Günther Steiner, hopes to capitalise on the potential of Maverick Viñales. The Japanese manufacturers, for their part, are looking to close the gap. Honda showed some signs of improvement last year, to the point of leaving the D category of concessions to join the C category, alongside Aprilia and KTM. Despite now having more limited technical resources, HRC officials believe they can continue their progress. Yamaha, for its part, is banking on the development of a new V4 engine to return to winning ways.
Update in March 2026
