Fabio Quartararo has opened up on his relationship with Yamaha which is coming to a toxic end in the 2026 MotoGP campaign.
The 27-year-old has ridden with the Japanese marque ever since his MotoGP debut in 2019, winning 11 races and the 2021 title along the way, but he will depart for Honda in 2027.
It comes after a difficult four years for Quartararo, who finished runner-up in the 2022 standings before claiming 10th (2023), 13th (2024) and ninth (2025), while occupying 14th in 2026.
Yamaha has simply fallen behind its rivals when it comes to bike development and it caused tensions to rise between the manufacturer and its star rider who have had a public fallout of late.
Speaking to Autosport about what made the atmosphere so strained, Quartararo said: “I think it’s down to the amount of time we’ve spent fighting for positions that weren’t where we should have been.
“In 2021 you’re fighting for the world championship, in 2022 you’re there, fighting for it, even though you don’t win.
“But then you have three years in a row – 2023, 2024 and 2025 – when we really weren’t fighting for what we wanted. Difficult moments have come up, and I think everything is very much related to that.
“I think both sides have tried to do the best possible job. There have been more tense moments, but what comes out in the press gets magnified, and it makes things seem much worse than they actually are.
Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images
“Of course, things have been better, but you shouldn’t think this is a war either. It’s like a relationship: there are difficult moments, but that’s normal.
“We have three months left together and this isn’t the time for fights after spending eight years together.
“We’re going to finish in the best way possible, and I hope that in the future we can talk positively about everything we achieved.”
The fallout reached its peak last month when Quartararo claimed “I’m not in a position to help” Yamaha in its 2027 development, due to feeling like he’d been reduced to a “test rider” role.
His frustration stemmed from the team denying him a chance to contest September’s in-season test in Austria, where riders will sample Pirelli’s new-for-2027 tyres for only the second time.
So Yamaha responded by stating it’ll only use Toprak Razgatlioglu and Izan Guevara, who will be competing for the team in 2027.
When asked whether he’s concerned about attending the 2027 opener with very few test days on the new tyres, Quartararo said: “In testing, you get the feeling for the bike, but I can’t say that I’ll arrive at the first race and that my goal will be to win – that wouldn’t be right.
“Maybe I’ll do two days on the bike and feel incredibly good, but we’ll have to keep learning through the first few grands prix.
Toprak Razgatlioglu, Pramac Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images
“If I feel ready to fight for the podium or the win, I’ll go for it, But we can’t expect to skip stages that quickly.
“Just because I’m going to Honda doesn’t mean the bike will suddenly be the best one. We’ll have to work, make adjustments and take it step by step. Step by step, but quickly.”
So although it may take time for the Frenchman to be competing for wins with Honda, currently ahead of just Yamaha in the standings, Quartararo is still confident he has the ability to do it.
“Every night when I go to bed, I think about how that first outing with Honda will go,” said Quartararo, whose last victory was Germany, 2022.
“But not just that test in Valencia. It will be a bit strange, because I’ve spent my whole career at Yamaha and it’s a very big change. It’s not really nervousness, it’s excitement and nerves.
“But if I’ve made the decision to go there, it’s to give it everything I’ve got. I know that when I get a real opportunity to win or to fight at the front, I’ll do it.
“We saw it at Silverstone last year. The circumstances allowed me to fight for the win, and I was there. I still have the same bite.”
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– The Autosport.com Team
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