Fabio Quartararo Officially Joins Honda for MotoGP 2027

MotoGP, Sportrik Media - Fabio Quartararo has officially joined Honda’s factory team for MotoGP 2027 after signing a two-year contract.

The move will begin a new chapter in Quartararo’s career after the French rider spent his entire MotoGP journey with Yamaha. He made his premier-class debut with the satellite Petronas SRT team in 2019 before earning promotion to the factory squad.

Quartararo immediately won the world championship during his first season as a factory Yamaha rider in 2021. However, victories disappeared from the second half of 2022, while he has collected only four grand prix podiums across the last four seasons despite remaining Yamaha’s strongest performer.

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Yamaha introduced a new V4-powered motorcycle late last season, but Quartararo openly questioned the pace of the project’s development. Reports of his agreement with Honda had already emerged before the 2026 campaign began.

The move to Honda still carries risk because the Japanese manufacturer has also struggled against its European rivals in recent seasons. However, Quartararo is placing his faith in the major shift to 850cc engines and Pirelli tyres from 2027.

The new regulations will give Honda an opportunity to restructure its technical project and recover lost ground without carrying every limitation of the previous motorcycle generation. Quartararo will become a central figure in HRC’s attempt to return to the front in that era.

Honda has yet to announce Quartararo’s team-mate. Joan Mir and Luca Marini are expected to leave the factory squad, while David Alonso and LCR rider Diogo Moreira are the leading candidates for the second seat.

Honda has already confirmed a multi-year agreement with Alonso but has not revealed which team he will represent in 2027. That decision will determine whether he moves directly into the factory squad or begins his MotoGP career with LCR.

Quartararo joins the Honda project with 10 MotoGP victories, all secured between 2020 and 2022. During the 2026 season, he also delivered the Yamaha V4’s best results through consecutive top-six finishes at Le Mans and Catalunya.

Although he sits only 15th in the standings, Quartararo has scored more points than Yamaha’s other three riders, Alex Rins, Jack Miller and Toprak Razgatlioglu, combined. That record demonstrates that his individual performance remains the manufacturer’s main benchmark despite its technical struggles.

Yamaha will replace Quartararo with Jorge Martin, while Ai Ogura is expected to take over Rins’ seat. The move further defines the 2027 MotoGP rider market ahead of one of the most significant regulatory changes in the championship’s modern history.