Yamaha are not listening to Fabio Quartararo behind the scenes with V4 development

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Fabio Quartararo’s relationship with Yamaha is becoming more strained by the day as the 2026 MotoGP season approaches.

The Frenchman produced miracles on the M1 in 2025, grabbing five pole positions. However, the bike’s lack of power ultimately left him finishing ninth in the championship with one podium.

Yamaha will introduce their V4 machine in 2026, hoping it will bring them success. The bike is far from the finished product, but their star rider is losing patience with the manufacturer as he desperately wants to return to the front of the grid.

Quartararo has ‘no time’ to wait, putting increasing pressure on the Iwata outfit to produce a competitive bike. If the V4 is not a winning machine, the 2021 MotoGP champion has made it clear that he will leave Yamaha.

But this criticism has not been received well by the team. Paolo Pavesio says Quartararo is ‘complaining too much’ behind the scenes, and Yamaha are starting to lose patience themselves.

Yamaha are not following Fabio Quartararo’s guidance for the V4’s development

It has been reported that Quartararo ‘twisted’ the DNA of the M1 with his constant complaints. He wanted the bike to win him races, but his feedback left Yamaha heading in a direction that they were not comfortable with.

A report from Motosprint states that ‘the Yamaha-Quartararo partnership is increasingly in crisis’ as they try to make the V4 competitive. The Frenchman’s complaints about the M1 have led the team to seek other guidance.

Yamaha have ‘decided not to follow the guidance of their star rider in developing the V4 engine’. It is a sign of frustration from the Iwata outfit, as they want to make the new bike more like a Yamaha.

Subsequently, they would instead prefer to follow the guidance of test riders Andrea Dovizioso and Augusto Fernandez. The latter has tested the new engine in wildcard entries in 2025, which Quartararo pushed for, and in private tests at Sepang.

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

Yamaha are already preparing for Fabio Quartararo’s exit

Quartararo is not happy with the V4 and its current state after seeing it in action in 2025 and testing it in Valencia at the end of the season. It is creating an ugly situation, as Yamaha are seemingly not impressed with the 26-year-old’s comments.

Yamaha will spend the first months of 2026 on development, knowing that the V4 will take time to come good. But Quartararo’s impatience will eventually lead to his exit if the bike is not immediately competitive, and the team know that.

Aprilia have initiated talks with Quartararo ahead of a potential move in 2027. Honda and Ducati are also supposedly keeping tabs on the Frenchman.

Quartararo would also be open to a satellite team in 2027, having previously had resistance to joining one. It might suggest how desperate he is to make a change in his MotoGP career.