Marco Bezzecchi
Fabio Quartararo’s overly critical comments of Yamaha has put them in a very difficult position this season.
Quartararo has been vocally critical of Yamaha’s 2026 bike, consistently saying that they haven’t delivered a championship-calibre bike for him.
Quartararo has seemingly lost his motivation this season, as Yamaha’s struggles this year have held back the French rider.
What have you made of Fabio Quartararo’s attitude at Yamaha this season?
Are you sympathetic, or do you feel he's showing a lack of respect?
Massimo Meragalli has dismissed Quartararo’s comments about the motivation for Yamaha’s riders, noting that the team are still trying their best.
No matter how valid Fabio Quartararo might feel in making these comments, Neil Hodgson believes Yamaha should shut him down.
READ MORE: Jack Miller says giving up on Yamaha’s V4 bike is ‘not an option’, Fabio Quartararo should take note
Neil Hodgson says Fabio Quartararo is trying to put pressure on Yamaha
Speaking on the Gas It Out podcast, Neil Hodgson urged Yamaha to bar Fabio Quartararo from speaking to the media if he can’t stop being critical of the team.
In fact, he explained that Quartararo, despite his professionalism, wants Yamaha to improve drastically, which is why he is so publicly critical of them.
“If I were Yamaha press, I’d be saying, ‘We’re done now, Fabio. We’re going to stop you from talking to the press because it is really negative.’ But it’s just a reality of the situation.
“He doesn’t need to keep saying it. We love Fabio. He’s such a nice guy. As normal as they come. But I get that he’s extremely competitive. He’s not going to let them off.
“I think he thinks, ‘I’ve got to keep on at Yamaha, I’ve got to keep stressing my point. If I don’t, we know the Yamaha manufacturers work quite slowly.’ I think he’s gone, ‘No, I’m going to keep my foot on your neck. My bike is rubbish. It has to be better.’”
READ MORE: Mat Oxley stunned by completely ‘rammed’ Yamaha garage at Jerez, ‘like they were having a party’
Honda have chosen David Alonso to be Fabio Quartararo’s 2027 MotoGP teammate – What do you rate their line-up out of 10?
Fabio Quartararo will be eyeing 2027 as a true test of Yamaha
While Quartararo’s comments may irk Yamaha, there isn’t much they can say to argue that the French rider is wrong in what he is saying.
Yamaha have not done a good job with their 2026 bike. Even Jack Miller has criticised Yamaha’s 2026 bike for not being ready for the season.
Toprak Razgatlioglu joined the criticism as a Yamaha rider as well. So clearly, Quartararo isn’t the only one who is being critical of his own team.
The hope for Quartararo, as Hodgson mentioned, is that the pressure and public criticism will ensure that Yamaha get their 2027 bike right.
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