Fabio Quartararo told ‘outstanding’ satellite team would give him a better bike than Yamaha in 2027

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Fabio Quartararo has made it clear that he’s considering his future at Yamaha. Like most of the MotoGP grid, he’s out of contract at the end of next year.

The performance of Yamaha’s V4 engine could be the deciding factor. It’s their best hope of bridging the still-significant gap to Ducati.

Quartararo has raised concerns over the V4 development, suggesting it should be more advanced at this stage. The bike made its Grand Prix debut at Misano last time out.

El Diablo has run out of patience, having seen Yamaha decline since his 2021 championship win. He saw a commanding lead over Francesco Bagnaia slip away the following season and has since dropped into the midfield.

Neil Hodgson says Fabio Quartararo must find a way to join Ducati

Speaking on TNT Sports’ coverage of FP1 at the Japanese Grand Prix, Neil Hodgson explained why he’s desperate for Quartararo to leave.

Quartararo has been earning £10m per year at Yamaha, so he doesn’t need to be governed by his salary when he makes his next move.

Marc Marquez took an enormous pay cut when he left Honda to join Ducati satellite team Gresini. Hodgson has suggested Quartararo may be wise to do the same.

While the 2027 regulation changes make it difficult to predict the pecking order, Hodgson says he’s ‘got to be on a Ducati‘. Even if there’s no room in the factory team, Gresini and VR46 would be ‘outstanding’ options.

“I’m really hoping – obviously first of all I’m hoping Yamaha improve their bike, they have a good V4 and it looks positive – but if they don’t, I so want him to leave,” he said. “I’m desperate for him to leave!

“If you are him, the truth is, none of us know what the best bike is going to be in 2027 because it’s such a shake-up. But I just feel like has to make a change, he’s got to jump off that Yamaha.

“That’s how I feel about it. He’ll know much more than me! He’ll have all the information. I’m not bad-mouthing Yamaha because it’s not been easy – you’ve had to be on a Ducati for the past five, six seasons.

“I would still feel like, for 2027, I’d want to be on a red bike. If you can’t get in the factory team, I’d do a Marc Marquez. I’d get on one of the outstanding satellite teams – VR46 or Gresini. They’d both have him.

“One thing Fabio does not need right now, and probably won’t need in the future, is money. Financially, he doesn’t have to think about a contract. What he needs to do, him and his manager, is try and work out which is going to be the best bike, but the gamble is… even if there are no guarantees, you’ve got to be on a Ducati.”

Ducati’s biggest rivals in the race to sign Fabio Quartararo

A recent report indicated that Quartararo is Ducati’s preferred option if they end up replacing Bagnaia. The long-running and successful partnership with the #63 may come to an end if his 2025 slump continues.

But while Ducati would be the favourites given their performance, they’re likely to face competition in the event that Quartararo puts himself on the market.

It’s said that Honda are ‘incredibly interested’ in Quartararo in what would be an almighty symbolic victory against their Japanese rivals. They will need to take another step forward before they can convince him.

It’s unclear how Yamaha would replace their franchise rider. Toprak Razgatlioglu, who will race for Pramac next year, may be seen as factory material, but Jack Miller and Alex Rins have been inconsistent on the other M1 bikes.