Marco Bezzecchi
Fabio Quartararo’s supposed move to Honda has been dominating the conversations in the MotoGP paddock at Sepang.
The first official test of 2026 has concluded in Malaysia, but most of the chatter was around the MotoGP rider market, after it exploded into chaos before riders hit the track.
It was reported that Quartararo will sign with Honda on a two-year deal from 2027. The Frenchman is unsatisfied with Yamaha after years of underdevelopment and false promises.
Wow! Did you see this one coming?
The 2021 champion had been pushing for the Iwata outfit to introduce their V4 bike in 2026, but he had not given it a chance in a race weekend before deciding his future. Quartararo looks set to join Yamaha’s Japanese rivals.
Quartararo was frustrated with Paolo Pavesio and his way of working after replacing Lin Jarvis in 2025. The pair were barely speaking by the end of the season, which helped convince him to move to Honda.
Alberto Puig issues ‘fantastic’ verdict on Fabio Quartararo amid 2027 Honda links
Naturally, everyone is searching for answers to the rumours that Quartararo is bound for Honda in 2027. HRC team manager Alberto Puig was questioned on the speculation by Sky Italy in Malaysia.
As he addressed the rider market, he insisted that his ‘priority’ is to focus on his current rider line-up: “Right now, everyone is talking to everyone,” said Puig.
“They say it’s already done, but the only thing we know for sure is that we need to focus on our current riders and see how the season starts.
“We’ll see after that, but right now Honda’s priority is to focus on the bike and ensure our current riders can start the season at a high level. Some have already closed for 2027, Honda hasn’t yet.”
Puig then sang his praises to the Yamaha rider: ” Quartararo is certainly a fantastic rider, like many others, and at the same time Honda needs to see what is best for the team but today we focused on Mir, Marini, Zarco and Moreira. What do we look for in a rider? Speed and intelligence.”
READ MORE: Everything to know about Fabio Quartararo from net worth to career stats
Honda are making strong progress in 2026 amid Fabio Quartararo links
Looking at the results from testing at Sepang, it is not hard to see why Quartararo has decided to jump ship to Honda in 2027.
Yamaha did not run on day two due to engine problems with the V4. Thankfully, they were resolved by Thursday, but their riders lost valuable track time.
Should Yamaha go back to their inline four engine until the V4 is ready?
Quartararo crashed on day one and broke his finger, ruling him out for the rest of the test. He had encountered the engine issue when he returned to the track in the afternoon, and Yamaha had no answer to the problem.
Meanwhile, their Japanese rivals made serious progress, as Joan Mir set the fastest time on day two, which was also Honda’s fastest time around Sepang. With the team’s pace and Yamaha’s issues, it may explain why Quartararo has acted quickly to secure his future.
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