Fabio Quartararo has finally opened up about the rift in his relationship with Yamaha, the manufacturer that helped him rise to MotoGP stardom. In an exclusive interview with Autosport, the 2021 world champion admitted that the tension wasn't sudden but the accumulation of four years of disappointment.
Quartararo's journey with Yamaha has been a rollercoaster. After winning the 2021 MotoGP title, he nearly repeated the feat in 2022, finishing as runner-up. But since 2023, Yamaha's performance has plummeted. Quartararo had to settle for 10th (2023), 13th (2024), and 9th (2025). Now, in the 2026 season, he is still stuck in 14th in the standings. Meanwhile, he has already decided to move to Honda for MotoGP 2027.
“I think it's down to the amount of time we've spent fighting for positions that weren't where we should have been,” Quartararo said. “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.”
The tension peaked last month when Quartararo claimed “I'm not in a position to help” Yamaha in its 2027 development, 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. Yamaha responded by stating it'll only use Toprak Razgatlioglu and Izan Guevara, who will be competing for the team in 2027.
Facing the 2027 season with few test days on the new tyres, Quartararo is realistic. “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. If I feel ready to fight for the podium or the win, I'll go for it,” he explained.
Despite the heated relationship, Quartararo insists this isn't a war. “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. 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.”
With his move to Honda, Quartararo hopes to return to winning ways. However, he is also aware that the challenge won't be easy. Honda is currently also struggling to become competitive again. The collaboration between this talented rider and the Japanese giant will be one of the intriguing stories leading up to the 2027 season.
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