Marco Bezzecchi
Yamaha’s 2026 MotoGP bike may be the last that Fabio Quartararo rides. Quartararo has raced the M1 ever since his premier-class debut in 2019, but his future is in doubt.
The 2021 world champion is out of contract at the end of the season, like most of the grid, and he made it abundantly clear that he wasn’t satisfied with ninth place in the 2025 championship. Quartararo scored five pole positions but only converted those into one podium finish.
One of the main reasons for that was Yamaha’s lack of power. To address that long-standing issue, they have switched from an inline four engine to a V4.
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Given the magnitude of the change, Yamaha have played down expectations for the first phase of the 2026 season. By the time their results improve, Quartararo may already have made a decision on his future.
Yamaha want Fabio Quartararo and Toprak Razgatlioglu to be teammates
According to Mundo Deportivo, Yamaha haven’t given up hope of keeping Quartararo. He says he’s out of patience, and wins appear unlikely this year.
While salary may not be as big a factor this year as it was in 2024, Quartararo does have an emotional attachment to the brand where he won his world championship.
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‘No one’ at Yamaha is ‘hiding their big dream’ to pair Quartararo with Toprak Razgatlioglu for 2027. Razgatlioglu, who begins his MotoGP career at satellite team Pramac, is already under contract for next year.
Of course, the Turkish rider will have to deliver as a rookie in order to earn that promotion. But the best case scenario for Yamaha would be a partnership between a MotoGP title winner and a three-time World Superbikes champion.
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Razgatlioglu’s arrival appears to be bad news for Alex Rins, who struggled to 19th in last year’s championship. By contrast, it would suit Jack Miller if his new teammate steps up to the official team, reducing the pressure on his seat.
“As you can imagine, at Yamaha we’ve already started talking internally about the future,” Yamaha director Maio Meregalli said at the launch. “But it’s a bit early to say anything concrete.
“We’ll certainly talk to Quartararo as soon as possible, and we also want to see how Rins starts the season. Without a doubt, we’d love to keep Fabio if he wants to stay.”
Quartararo has been linked with Ducati, and Yamaha may struggle to compete if the sport’s dominant team make an offer.
Honda are also pushing hard for Quartararo in what would be a major symbolic victory over their Japanese rivals.
And finally, Quartararo is also an option for Aprilia, who may lack the same resources as his other suitors but are clearly a growing force in MotoGP.
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