Fabio Quartararo may already have ‘made up his mind’ about where he wants to race in 2027

Add as preferred source on Google

Fabio Quartararo is one of the biggest players in the 2027 MotoGP rider market. That may seem like a distant concern for now, but it will start up imminently.

World champion Marc Marquez wants to stay at Ducati, so he could be the first rider to sign. Elsewhere, only LCR duo Johann Zarco and Diogo Moreira and new Pramac signing Toprak Razgatlioglu have deals in place beyond the end of 2026.

According to David Emmett of MotoMatters, the market will start after the Valencia test later this month, when riders get their clearest picture yet of where they stand for next year. Further movement is expected between the pre-season test in Sepang and the season opener in Thailand.

Quartararo will ride Yamaha’s V4 bike in Valencia after previous outings in Barcelona and San Marino. He’s expressed frustration with their lack of progress to date, deepening his crisis of faith in the brand.

‘There is a sense’ that Fabio Quartararo has already decided to leave Yamaha

Emmett expects Quartararo to be ‘among the first movers’. He says ‘there is a sense’ that the 2021 world champion has ‘already made up his mind’ – he intends to leave Yamaha.

His criticism has become ‘more and more explicit’, indicating that money alone won’t convince him to stay. Yamaha have made a ‘colossal’ offer to Quartararo in the hope that he extends again, but he’s reached a stage where victories and further titles are his priority.

It would be ‘no surprise’ if Quartararo left Paolo Pavesio’s team at this stage, but where would he go? Ducati have already shown interest, while he ‘may also look at Aprilia’.

While Honda are ‘incredibly interested’ in Quartararo, it’s unclear at this stage if that feeling is mutual. It would be an enormous symbolic victory if they could prise him away from their Japanese rivals.

Should Yamaha lose Quartararo, they would prioritise ‘proven development riders’, like Jack Miller, and ‘much cheaper rookies’. They could then funnel their ‘savings’ into improving the V4.

Did Luigi Dall’Igna just drop a hint about Fabio Quartararo?

Pavesio is ready to let Quartararo leave if he feels that it’s in Yamaha’s best interests. His stance is that no individual is bigger than the team.

Some at Iwata feel that El Diablo’s recent behaviour has been detrimental to the atmosphere. The two sides may be reaching a natural separation point.

In a recent interview, Luigi Dall’Igna said he knows which riders are the best in a hint about Ducati’s 2027 plans.

While he added that he’s happy with his current options, that felt like an indication that they could revive their interest in Quartararo, one of the best pound-for-pound riders on the grid in 2025.