Dorna believe it’s ‘essential’ for MotoGP that one world champion signs a new contract with his team

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Dorna have already exerted a significant influence over the MotoGP rider market this year. They were instrumental in Jorge Martin remaining at Aprilia.

The injured Martin publicly announced that he was activating a release clause in his contract after just one appearance for his new team, but Aprilia vowed to take him to court. Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta intervened, declaring that a rider must have resolved any such disputes to enter the championship.

This was also a less direct warning to Pedro Acosta, who was unhappy at KTM. Acosta had been linked to VR46, but he stopped agitating for an exit.

Next year’s MotoGP rider market promises to be more unsettled, with most of the grid on expiring contracts. Alongside Martin, fellow world champions Marc Marquez, Francesco Bagnaia, Fabio Quartararo and Joan Mir will all have to negotiate new deals.

Dorna will push Fabio Quartararo to stay at Yamaha

As noted by MOW Magazine, Quartararo’s Yamaha contract is enormously lucrative. It’s reportedly worth over £10m per season.

But Quartararo isn’t governed solely by financial considerations. He’s made it abundantly clear that he wants a winning bike by 2027 at the latest.

Yamaha must show him that they can provide that, or they risk losing the 2021 title winner. Quartararo hasn’t tasted victory since the summer of 2022, but he has scored four pole positions this year.

Those performances, on a bike that’s currently bottom of the constructors’ championship, have solidified his status as the closest challenger to Marquez on talent alone. Dorna believe it’s ‘essential’ for the sport that every manufacturer has a champion, so ‘they’re unlikely to let’ him move without exerting pressure.

KTM are the only manufacturer without a MotoGP champion in their roster. But all of their riders have won at least one title in the lower classes, with Acosta triumphant in both.

The latest on Fabio Quartararo’s future – it could all hinge on one thing

Despite Dorna’s opposition, there’s an ‘increasingly real’ risk that Quartararo leaves Yamaha. He’s likely to attract interest from every other manufacturer if so.

The Japanese giants have already recruited World Superbikes champion Toprak Razgatlioglu, who will begin his MotoGP career at Pramac. If Razgatlioglu lives up to the hype, then it would soften the blow of losing El Diablo somewhat.

• READ MORE: Five moves that could happen in the 2026 MotoGP rider market including Francesco Bagnaia Ducati exit

Quartararo believes he could challenge Marquez on equal machinery, but Yamaha seem to be a long way from providing that. Since the summer break, his results read 11th, 15th, DNF, 10th, and that still makes him the brand’s lead rider.

It’s clear that much will depend on the performance of Yamaha’s hotly-anticipated V4 engine. Augusto Fernandez will debut the new model in a wildcard appearance at the San Marino Grand Prix next month.