Yamaha admits Quartararo relationship has cooled ahead of Honda move

Summary

Meregalli says Yamaha’s relationship with its riders has become less close.
Quartararo’s frustration escalated after Yamaha excluded him from Pirelli testing.
Yamaha intends to keep supplying developments until his departure for Honda.

Yamaha team director Massimo Meregalli admits the relationship with Fabio Quartararo has cooled as their final season together approaches its conclusion. However, he says the Frenchman will continue receiving technical support until he leaves for Honda at the end of the 2026 MotoGP campaign.

The admission follows a public disagreement over development work and Yamaha’s decision to exclude Quartararo from testing the Pirelli tyres that will enter the championship in 2027. Meregalli acknowledged that the atmosphere is different from the beginning of their partnership, while distinguishing relations with the riders from working conditions among the mechanics and engineers.

“Perhaps the relationship with the riders as a whole has become a little colder than before,” Meregalli said.

The Italian nevertheless described the garage as a professional environment in which staff continue working together. His commitment is to maintain that approach through the remaining races, with Quartararo receiving the available developments despite his impending departure.

Why Quartararo and Yamaha fell out

The disagreement became public during the Aragón Grand Prix weekend, when Quartararo expressed frustration with Yamaha’s performance and his role in developing the motorcycle. An engine failure in the Sprint added to a difficult event for the 2021 world champion.

Quartararo said he no longer wanted to help develop Yamaha’s bike for its future riders after being denied participation in the Pirelli test at the Red Bull Ring. The decision left him unhappy about continuing to evaluate parts during race weekends while being excluded from work involving the following season.

Yamaha’s management responded publicly, with Meregalli urging him to follow Jack Miller’s example in maintaining a positive approach. Both parties subsequently held talks, and Quartararo addressed the outcome before the San Marino Grand Prix.

“We got a meeting together, everything was sorted out, and everything is pretty normal,” Quartararo said at Misano.

That meeting did not reverse Yamaha’s decision on Pirelli testing. Quartararo also explained that resolving the disagreement did not remove his competitive frustration: he still wanted to fight for better results and found the motorcycle’s limitations difficult to accept.

Yamaha promises support through the final race

Meregalli’s latest comments acknowledge that settling the dispute did not restore the relationship to its earlier warmth. Nevertheless, he insists that an approaching separation should not determine the level of technical support supplied to a rider.

He cited Yamaha’s previous experience with Jorge Lorenzo as an example of continuing development until the final grand prix before a departure. Quartararo should receive the same treatment, with the team continuing to provide what he needs for the remaining races.

“That’s how a team works, in my opinion,” Meregalli said.

The situation comes during Yamaha’s first season racing its V4 motorcycle and ahead of another major technical transition in 2027. Quartararo will complete the current campaign with the manufacturer before joining Honda for the new 850cc era.

Honda move also brings changes away from the track

Quartararo’s next chapter involves more than changing motorcycles. Honda’s reported agreement with Red Bull is also expected to require him to end his personal association with rival energy drink brand Monster.

Before that transition, Quartararo returns to action with Yamaha at Motegi. The Japanese Grand Prix takes place from October 2–4, followed by the Indonesian round at Mandalika the next weekend.