QUARTARARO SAYS BELIEF IN YAMAHA, NOT MONEY, KEPT HIM THERE

Fabio Quartararo says he stayed with Yamaha because he believed in its plans, not because of the money, despite a difficult run of results that has left him ready to move on.

The Frenchman joined Yamaha’s factory team in 2021, replacing Valentino Rossi, and won the world championship in his first season. He came close to a second title in 2022, but Francesco Bagnaia’s comeback denied him. Quartararo has not won since that year’s German Grand Prix, collecting just six podiums during the drought.

His decision to sign a two-year extension in 2024 surprised some observers. He could have joined Aprilia or taken a satellite Ducati option, but chose to remain at Yamaha. In an interview with Motorbike Magazine, he rejected the suggestion that financial incentives drove the choice. “People say it was about money, but what they don’t know is that I was already earning a lot of money with the previous contract,” he said.

Quartararo said he had no regrets about committing to Yamaha for 2025 and 2026. “When I decided to stay, I truly believed in the project,” he explained, adding that it was not a decision to “stay one more year and relax.” He said the start of 2025 gave him reason for optimism: Yamaha took three consecutive pole positions at Jerez, Le Mans and Silverstone, while he scored a podium at Jerez and led at Le Mans.

At Silverstone, Quartararo looked close to ending his winless run before a ride-height device failure cost him the chance of victory. “Of course, I would have liked to win at Silverstone,” he said. The missed opportunity still bothers him, though he added that fighting for a podium in the current season was “impossible.”

Yamaha eventually stopped developing its existing bike to concentrate on a V4 project. Quartararo said the decision did not change his view of his own commitment: “I’ve given my absolute best so far, and I don’t think there’s any regret.” He acknowledged that staying had not worked out, but insisted: “I don’t regret any decision.”

During the off-season between 2025 and 2026, Quartararo signed for Honda. With Yamaha’s results since then offering little encouragement, he said the relationship had reached its natural end: “I think it’s time for both of us to go our separate ways.” He is currently Yamaha’s highest-placed rider in 15th in the standings, while Yamaha and Honda occupy the bottom two positions in the teams’ championship.