Fabio Quartararo told he’d be ‘crazy’ to accept Yamaha’s latest offer as he considers MotoGP future

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Fabio Quartararo is the figurehead of the Yamaha MotoGP team, but the Frenchman admits that he is considering potential moves ahead of his contract expiring in 2026.

The MotoGP rider market is likely to explode next season, with most of the grid set to be out of contract. Only the 2026 LCR duo of Johann Zarco and Diogo Moreira for Honda plus 2026 Pramac rookie Toprak Razgatlioglu for Yamaha currently have contracts for 2027, or beyond.

So, Quartararo acknowledges that he likely will not be able to wait that long before deciding whether his future is with Yamaha or a rival brand. The 26-year-old has been a Yamaha rider since he won the title in the 2021 MotoGP season, but they have not won a race since 2022.

As teams are likely to start holding discussions with riders about moves for the 2027 season in early 2026, Quartararo is already “thinking” about his future at Yamaha. He is not actively eyeing a move, but he is studying what move he would “like to make” if the exit door opens.

Fabio Quartararo would be ‘crazy’ to stay at Yamaha beyond 2026 just for a pay rise

Losing Quartararo after the 2026 season would likely be devastating for Yamaha, as the Nice native has scored 166 points so far this year while Pramac’s Jack Miller has the second-most points riding the M1 with 66. Quartararo has also taken five pole positions and one podium.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Fabio Quartararo from net worth to career stats

Reports have already emerged that Yamaha have made Quartararo a colossal offer to extend his contract beyond the 2026 season. But Neil Hodgson thinks Quartararo would be “crazy” to try to bait Yamaha into giving him a pay rise after openly admitting his future is uncertain.

Instead, 2003 World Superbike champion Hodgson believes, and expects, Quartararo should leave Yamaha to get on a more competitive bike for MotoGP’s regulation changes in 2027. It would be a “gamble” to trust that Yamaha will be title contenders when the 850cc era starts.

Hodgson told TNT Sports 2 (24/10, 04:30): “I think he’ll leave. That’s what I think. He should leave. He’s either ramping up for an even bigger paycheck, which he’d be crazy to take as it is too much of a gamble. I don’t think [he’ll stay]. He needs to win.”

Ducati are interested in signing Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo for the 2027 MotoGP season

Quartararo is already the best-paid MotoGP rider thanks to the contract Yamaha gave him in April 2024 to commit through the 2026 season. But Hodgson feels even an improvement on Quartararo’s £10m a year Yamaha contract alone will not be enough for him to stay in 2027.

The 2021 champion will also not be short on offers if he were to ever leave the Iwata natives for pastures new. Ducati see Quartararo as their top target to replace Marc Marquez, should the Spaniard elect to leave Borgo Panigale when his contract expires at the end of next year.

Quartararo would only leave Yamaha for another factory team, which leaves Ducati, Aprilia, KTM and Honda as potential landing spots. All four of Yamaha’s factory rivals also currently have vacancies for the 2027 season, but Marquez will likely dictate how the market unfolds.