Creating Kando with Passion. The People Behind Yamaha Factory Racing Series: YZR-M1 Livery Designer

October 28, 2025

October 28, 2025—Riders and machines battle in the public eye, racing for glory, but behind the scenes is a team of employees, experts, and professionals supporting them toward taking victories and creating Kando, together. Here, we shine a light on one of these Yamaha employees, who shares his passion and the spirit of challenge he puts into his craftsmanship.

Marco Ferraro and his team at Yamaha R&D Europe's design department in Italy designed the livery for the 2025 YZR-M1 MotoGP machine, to be campaigned by the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP team for the season. Called “Blue Shift,” the livery’s concept expresses Yamaha's evolution through color. Standing out in the design is Yamaha Blue, a color linking the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP team, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP team, and BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 team.

Marco sat down to speak about designing the livery. “I couldn't believe it until it was actually happening. It’s something I didn’t think I’d have the chance to do, so all I can say is that I was so thankful to get the opportunity. This project came from passion. For me, ‘passion’ means doing something just because you want to do it, naturally, without thinking about it, not being forced to do it. That's why I was able to put my best work into it.”

Marco's path to joining Yamaha R&D Europe began in 2003 at the Yamaha booth during the Bologna Motorcycle Show, where he encountered Yamaha’s slogan, “Touching Your Heart.” He spoke about that experience.

“The phrase really stood out to me, and that’s how I got to know Yamaha. Then, that summer, I had a brilliant idea.” The idea was to join Yamaha. He put together a portfolio and headed to Yamaha Motor Italy’s office. Since it was a Saturday, he had only planned to drop off the portfolio, but the security guard at the gate put him in touch with an employee who was at work that day. He ended up interviewing in a T-shirt and shorts that day, before being hired to join Yamaha R&D Europe in 2004.

"My very first job after joining the company was designing a 50cc scooter, and that was the Valentino Rossi replica model. It was incredibly important to me because in 2004, the year I joined, was the same year that Valentino joined Yamaha. For many young people, Valentino represents an entire generation, and of course, as an Italian myself, I followed him closely. So for me, designing his replica model was such an incredible experience."

Following that, Marco continued to develop his skills as he took on new challenges in a wide range of fields, including selecting colors for the MAX series—most famous for the “automatic supersport” model TMAX—and participating in the Ténéré racing project. Since encountering Yamaha at the Bologna Motorcycle Show that fateful year and taking on many opportunities since, his passion for design and manufacturing has only grown.

For Marco, these small gears meshed, turning chance into destiny and leading to him being chosen to design the 2025 YZR-M1’s livery. On February 3, 2025, at an event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the YZR-M1 that Marco and his team had put their time and effort into finally broke cover. Later that month, on February 28, it made its on-track debut at Chang International Circuit in Thailand. “The M1 is a prototype, so it never stops evolving. I didn’t know if I’d be working on it as a whole, or if it would be one part at a time. It was a constant challenge,” he says, reflecting on the difficulties he experienced working on the project. “In other words, I had to be flexible and respond quickly to the unexpected.”

A particularly special moment was seeing the striking figure of the YZR-M1 lined up on the MotoGP starting grid. "I was always forward-thinking, knowing we could find solutions no matter the challenge, and that’s why I had such a strong emotion seeing the M1 there. If I had to put it into words, it would just be ‘happiness.’ That’s because this project resonated with me deeply. It was a special and really unique experience. The connections between all the people who supported this project were the driving force to push it forward. When we all came together and trusted each other, a magic was born that made everything possible." As Marco spoke, the expression on his face showed a sense of accomplishment.

“The philosophy I put into my designs comes down the simple concept of ‘feeling.’ In each project, I try to imagine the people who are eagerly awaiting the product and the joy they will feel, and that positively influences my idea creation.” This philosophy also went into designing the YZR-M1’s livery.

“I think Yamaha is a special company. We work on everything from simple items to the highest levels of cutting-edge tech, all with the aim of improving people's lives. That's why I visit motorcycle shows like EICMA every year, so I can see people's reactions to Yamaha products, and to the passion we put into those products. I often see people's eyes light up and smiles across their faces. For me, that’s truly moving.”

The YZR-M1, passionately crafted by Marco and so many more employees, continues its challenge on racetracks around the world in pursuit of creating Kando.