Marco Bezzecchi
Despite rumours that he will join Honda in 2027, Neil Hodgson believes Fabio Quartararo should remain professional.
The 2026 MotoGP season kicked off at the Thai Grand Prix on the 27th of February, and Fabio Quartararo was back on track on his Yamaha M1.
However, a big change has been made to his machine for this season as Yamaha have swapped their inline four engine for a V4 engine, at the request of Quartararo.
However, even with the new V4 engine in the Yamaha, it does not look like the Japanese manufacturer have made much progress when compared to their 2025 form. Quartararo continues to display a dejected body language after every stint on the track.
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Neil Hodgson calls for Fabio Quartararo to remain ‘professional’
Quartararo re-signed with Yamaha during the 2024 season on a two-year deal for 2025 and 2026, a decision which at the time was questioned due to Yamaha’s poor performances.
However, it appears that at the end of 2026 Quartararo will leave Yamaha as he has reportedly signed a two-year deal with Honda.
During the Free Practice One coverage on TNT Sports, Neil Hodgson called for Quartararo to ‘keep focused’ and do the ‘best job for his employer’ during the 2026 season.
Hodgson said, “He has to reset his goals; he knew when he re-signed with Yamaha that there was always a risk. He pushed for them to develop a new V4, which they have done.
“This is all part of his job; knowing that he will be leaving at the end of the season does not help. But he is paid very well, he has to be a professional, he has to keep focused, he has to keep his head down, and he has to do the best job for his employer.”
Will Fabio Quartararo see out the 2026 season with Yamaha?
No Yamaha secured an automatic Q2 position on Friday
During the opening day of the MotoGP race weekend at the Buriram International Circuit, the ten riders who automatically secure a Q2 spot were decided in the afternoon Practice session.
It was notable that all four Yamaha riders finished outside of the top ten and will have to try to progress through Q1 on Saturday morning.
Quartararo was the top Yamaha rider in 16th place on the timesheets, with his factory Yamaha teammate, Alex Rins, down in 20th place. The two Pramac Yamaha riders, Jack Miller and Toprak Razgatlioglu, ended the day in 19th and 21st.
These results were not unexpected for the Yamaha riders, as all four of them have struggled during pre-season testing at Sepang and Buriram.
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