Marco Bezzecchi
A multitude of reasons are behind Fabio Quartararo’s switch from Yamaha to Honda next year, but the Frenchman’s fortunes are unlikely to change regarding one of his biggest frustrations with the Iwata-based MotoGP factory.
Following a few difficult years with the factory Yamaha outfit, Fabio Quartararo is widely expected to rediscover his love for the premier class upon his move to the factory Honda team for MotoGP’s new era of regulations in 2027.
Yamaha’s subpar M1 has been the main reason behind Quartararo’s restlessness at the Japanese constructor. Eager to add more titles to his 2021 MotoGP world championship feat, Quartararo has been a staple of the midfield atop backmarker machinery.
Should Honda be worried about Fabio Quartararo’s mentality in MotoGP?
On top of the poor performance of the prototype, the 27-year-old’s frustrations also stem from the amount of time that it has taken for engineers to ready upgrades that could potentially help the team make a step forward.
Unfortunately for him, things aren’t expected to be any different once he arrives at Asaka as a proud rider for the factory Honda team.
- READ MORE: Fabio Quartararo says Yamaha are yet to fix V4 bike issues that he raised over six months ago
Luca Marini’s recent verdict on Honda’s development will not fill Fabio Quartararo with confidence
In a recent interview with Moto.it, Honda’s Luca Marini was asked about Honda’s growth in recent years and, more specifically, whether or not the factory’s engineers still need to deliberate for a while before making any changes.
“They’ve improved a great deal in many areas, especially in their working methods, which we’ve managed to steer in the right direction over the last two years,” Marini began, before highlighting the issues with suppliers that they often run into.
Here’s how the teammate battles look halfway through the MotoGP season. What stands out? 🆚
The table shows the points scored by each rider
“However, it’s not easy to work with suppliers, especially Japanese ones, because the culture is very different – not just within the trackside team but also in Japan, in the way they deal with their suppliers.
“It happens that Honda is just one of many customers of a company and is treated like everyone else, without priority, so things take longer: it takes them months to make a swingarm.”
If a lot of the Frenchman’s annoyances at Yamaha stem from their lengthy time at the drawing board rather than actual development, then it remains to be seen how he will respond to a similar philosophy being utilised at his new outfit next year.
- READ MORE: Mat Oxley in awe after spotting Yamaha’s ‘mad’ German Grand Prix upgrade that Jack Miller tested
Receive racing news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
