Fabrication, spectroscopic properties and laser performance of a Yb:SiO2 multicomponent glass have been investigated in this paper. The glass system comprising of SiO2, Al2O3 and La2O3 excels in terms of a high thermal stress resistance compared to other laser glasses. The laser experiments were conducted with a 3.4mm thick and 0.9 mol% Y2O3 doped sample. A maximum slope efficiency of 51 %, a maximum optical to optical efficiency of 42% and a tuning range from 1010-1090nm was realized. Due to the promising laser properties and straightforward fabrication technique it may well qualify as an alternative gain medium in high energy, ultrashort pulse laser systems.