As MotoGP contests the last round of an overseas series that launched the richest championship in its history, the outgoing world champion, Fabio Quartararo, finds himself increasingly at the heart of speculation as to the manufacturer with which he will continue his career. The Frenchman, who has only raced on Yamaha since joining the premier class in 2019 and who brought Iwata back to the title six years after Jorge Lorenzo, does not rule out a possible change at the end of his current contract, which runs until the end of the season.
Arrived in MotoGP with the Petronas SRT team and riding a Yamaha specification B at the time, Quartararo quickly surprised by his results and in particular by fighting against Marc Márquez, author that year of a record season. . Switched to a more advanced bike in 2020, he won his first victories and challenged for the title for the first time, before his promotion to the official team and a championship this time achieved in 2021.
Now in his second year with the factory team, Quartararo made no secret of his disappointment at the M1’s lack of progress during the off-season. Since the resumption of competition, it is with counted words that he evokes the subject of his future when he is questioned about his projects.
On Sunday in Argentina he admitted his future was unclear, and on Thursday from Austin he repeated that he had not made a choice yet, implying that staying with Yamaha is by no means obvious. « I don’t really think about it », he had indicated. « It’s a normal Grand Prix for me. We are on Monster land and I will do my best. For my future, we will see when I have made my decision. »
Questioned on Friday by the official MotoGP website, his manager Éric Mahé gave an update on the situation, indicating that there was no decision for the moment. « There is no latest news, because we are checking all the parameters, say », he explained. « We just need to know where Fabio could get the best possible results, we are there. »
“We are quite lucky because a few years ago decisions like this were made a year and a half in advance; at this stage there is no rush, so it is a good situation,” added Éric Mahé, ruling out any deadline that would force an imminent decision. « There is no rush, only two riders have signed for next year, Morbidelli and Bagnaia. And I can imagine there is no rush for Yamaha either, so we are investigating everything and then we’ll see what happens. »
Reflection is needed
When asked if any offers had come in for Fabio Quartararo from manufacturers competing with Yamaha, the manager replied: « It’s not about offers. We’re in discussion. It’s not about offers, we’re trying to figure out what might be best for Fabio. » As to whether Honda might be affected by these « discussions »he did not confirm it: « I won’t comment on that, sorry. I know everyone is curious but my job is not to give out that kind of information. »
These discussions that are taking place with opponents of Yamaha therefore mean that Fabio Quartararo is indeed open to a possible change? « Yes of course », confirmed Eric Mahé. « We have a lot of respect for Yamaha, but for some reasons that I can’t mention, we have to think. »
As things stand, Franco Morbidelli has a contract for next year with Yamaha, as does Marco Bezzecchi, who races in the colors of the VR46 team and Ducati. Pecco Bagnaia has meanwhile extended its agreement with Ducati until 2024 before the start of the championship, aligning itself with the contract terms of Marc Márquez with Honda and Brad Binder with KTM.
Given Márquez’s already sealed position with HRC, speculation about a possible link between Quartararo and the Japanese manufacturer puts Pol Espargaró in a difficult position. However, he estimated on Thursday that there would ultimately be few changes for 2023 given the risks involved in switching from one brand to another.
