News summary
- Fabio Quartararo said he no longer wants to help Yamaha develop the YZR-M1, citing “personal reasons.”
- The Frenchman revealed that he wanted to take part in the Pirelli tire test at the Red Bull Ring, but Yamaha decided not to include him.
- Quartararo, who will join Honda in 2027, said he is willing to help Yamaha improve the bike for the current season but does not want to develop it for next year’s riders.
The relationship between Fabio Quartararo and Yamaha has deteriorated even further. The Frenchman said he no longer wants to work on the development of the YZR-M1 and cited “personal reasons.”
Quartararo has been complaining about the M1’s performance for some time. As a result, ‘El Diablo’ decided to move to Honda next season, ending his long association with Yamaha.
Speaking to the French media in Aragón, Quartararo revealed that he does not intend to help Yamaha with the development of the YZR-M1.
“For the future, I’m not in a position to help. And, for personal reasons, I don’t want to help,” he said.
According to the French edition of Motorsport, Yamaha decided not to include Quartararo in the Pirelli tire test scheduled to take place at the Red Bull Ring after the Austrian GP.
As part of its development program for next year, Pirelli organized two test sessions with its new tires. However, due to the large number of rider changes for 2027, several riders were left out of the test held at Brno and will also be absent at the Red Bull Ring.
Honda, Quartararo’s future home, took a different approach and selected Joan Mir and Luca Marini for testing, even though both riders are set to move to Gresini and Tech3, respectively. KTM also made an exception and selected Pedro Acosta for the test.
“To make it clear, the thing is… I don’t know if I should say this, but I’ll say it anyway: I wanted to do the Austrian test,” Fabio explained. “But unfortunately, Yamaha doesn’t want me to ride with the Pirelli tires. I wanted to do something, but they won’t let me,” he complained.
“Personally, I don’t want to develop the bike for the 2027 riders. So, if I can improve something for this year, I will,” he stressed. “But I’m not going to push myself to the limit and behave like a test rider, as I did this weekend,” he fired back.
The Yamaha rider market situation is also part of a broader reshuffle ahead of the 2027 MotoGP season, when the championship will enter a major new technical era. Quartararo is already confirmed at Honda, while Yamaha has Jorge Martín and Ai Ogura lined up for its factory team.
Yamaha abandoned its long-standing inline-four engine concept at the end of last year to align itself with its rivals by switching to a V4 power unit, but so far the change has not delivered a major competitive improvement. The Iwata manufacturer sits at the bottom of the MotoGP Constructors’ Championship, 312 points behind Aprilia. The switch to the V4 was one of the defining changes to Yamaha’s 2026 project.
Quartararo’s move to Honda was driven largely by his frustration with Yamaha’s development pace. Cal Crutchlow recently described the Frenchman and Honda as a “perfect match”, highlighting the rider’s desire to help the Japanese manufacturer return to the front of the grid.
MotoGP returns from September 11 to 13 at the San Marino and Rimini Riviera GP, the 14th round of the 2026 season. GRANDE PRÊMIO will cover the entire weekend schedule, as well as all other categories of the World Motorcycle Championship.
FAQ
1. Why does Fabio Quartararo refuse to help Yamaha develop the MotoGP bike for 2027?
Quartararo said that personal reasons and his move to Honda for 2027 mean he does not want to develop the Yamaha bike for the riders who will use it next season.
2. Why was Quartararo left out of the Pirelli test at the Red Bull Ring?
Yamaha decided not to include Quartararo in the Austrian Pirelli tire test, despite the Frenchman saying he wanted to participate and help with the development work.
3. Which team will Fabio Quartararo race for in MotoGP in 2027?
Quartararo will join Honda in 2027 after leaving Yamaha. His Honda teammate has yet to be finalized, with Diogo Moreira and David Alonso in contention for the remaining factory seat.
