Marco Bezzecchi
Fabio Quartararo decided to leave Yamaha before the turn of the year, according to MotoGP reporter Jack Appleyard.
It emerged in late January that Quartararo would join Honda in 2027 when his contract expired. The Frenchman has denied signing any deals, but several paddock insiders insist the move is done.
Quartararo has spent his whole career on Yamaha bikes, starting at now-defunct satellite team SRT before joining the factory squad in 2021. He immediately won the world championship in blue, but the relationship has frayed in recent seasons, largely due to a victory drought that is approaching four years.
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Fabio Quartararo gave up on Yamaha after sampling V4 prototype
Speaking on the Motorsport Republica podcast last month, Appleyard revealed that Quartararo’s move to Honda was ‘signed’ and sealed late last year.
The Frenchman tested Yamaha’s V4-powered bike for the first time in September and also rode it at Misano and Ricardo Tormo.
Part of the reason Yamaha made the change from the inline four was to keep their franchise rider, who was hamstrung by a lasting power deficit. But Quartararo made clear that he expected more progress.
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Having lost faith in the project, he decided to accept Honda’s offer even before riding the 2026 bike in pre-season testing. He had made up his mind based on a prototype.
“Fabio Quartararo has been signed with Honda since late last year,” Appleyard said in a segment about the rider market.
Who will be Fabio Quartararo’s teammate at Honda?
Quartararo extended his Yamaha deal during the 2024 contract cycle, a lucrative decision but one that might have cost him valuable years of his career. He finished ninth in the championship this year and is currently 16th, with the M1 becoming detached at the back of the grid.
The expectation at this stage is that David Alonso will be Quartararo’s teammate at the factory Honda team. But the Japanese manufacturer won’t finalise their rider plans until they know exactly how many bikes they have at their disposal; talks with current KTM customers Tech3 are ongoing.
Meanwhile, Yamaha are signing Ai Ogura and Jorge Martin in an all-new works pairing. Quartararo’s current teammate, Alex Rins, has already been informed that he won’t get a new deal.
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