Yamaha’s bosses have fired back after the Frenchman said he wouldn’t continue to develop the M1 ‘for personal reasons’
Fabio Quartararo’s split from Yamaha is still three months away, but after the Aragón weekend the final stretch of that eight-year association is looking increasingly uncomfortable. A disappointing on-track showing from the Frenchman was followed by unusually blunt public criticism, with the relationship between rider and manufacturer now under the spotlight.
Quartararo’s frustrations came to a head over the Aragón weekend. Before the current season began, reports indicated Quartararo, the 2021 world champion, had signed with Honda for 2027. Yamaha’s new V4 has yet to produce the breakthrough the marque wanted, with Quartararo’s best result so far a fifth place in Barcelona after he had been in podium contention last season, and he has made little attempt to hide his dissatisfaction. That frustration sharpened further at Aragón, where he told French media on Saturday, “For the future, I am not in a position to help. And for personal reasons, I don’t want to help”, before adding on Sunday that he would “stop trying 100 things” across a grand prix weekend for Yamaha.
At the centre of it is Quartararo’s growing disillusionment with the role he is being asked to play. Early in the weekend he complained about effectively being used as a “test rider”, trying parts he believes are delivering little in return. He also made it plain that he has no interest in contributing to Yamaha’s 2027 package before moving on.
“I don’t know if I can say it, but I’m going to say it anyway: I wanted to do the test in Austria. But unfortunately, Yamaha does not want me to ride with the Pirelli tyres”, Quartararo said during the weekend, before adding that he had no “desire to develop the bike for the 2027 riders”.
There are still nine Grands Prix remaining, provided the calendar stays intact despite uncertainty around the Qatar GP, but the bitterness now on display has inevitably raised questions about how smoothly Quartararo can see out this final chapter. The current dispute has also brought older tensions back into view, particularly Yamaha’s decision on its engine direction for 2026.
According to Quartararo, that disagreement had already strained matters well before Aragón. Speaking to L’Équipe, he said, “The relationship had already become a bit complicated before that, notably through the discussions we had about which bike to use in 2026. For me, the choice was clear: we had to keep the inline-four. Yamaha ultimately decided to continue with the V4. That was difficult to accept.”
Another source of tension is Yamaha’s decision over a tyre development test at the Red Bull Ring in around two weeks, one of the sessions being used as part of preparations for 2027. Quartararo wanted to take part, but says he has been refused the chance to ride on Pirelli tyres, a stance that has fed directly into his hardening position on development work for the factory’s future riders.
Yamaha has now pushed back publicly. Paolo Pavesio, executive director of Yamaha Motor Racing, told L’Équipe that Quartararo’s criticism lacked perspective, especially when it came to judging the value of new components brought to the track.
“Fabio regularly complains that we are not developing the bike, and when we ask him to test new parts he reproaches us for it, saying that he gets lost”, Pavesio said. “He lacks a bit of objectivity. Of course, we are not at the level we would like to be. But like our rivals, we are trying to move forward.”
Massimo Meregalli, the head of Yamaha’s factory effort, said the manufacturer was simply following the same approach being taken elsewhere across the paddock. “For the test in Austria, we will use Razgatlioglu and most likely Guevara because they will be with us next year”, he said, referring to the rider already within the broader Yamaha set-up and the rookie due to join next year.
Meregalli added, “All the manufacturers [who are parting ways with their riders] have made this decision. Martín and Ogura will not test the Aprilia, Bagnaia will not test the Ducati, Acosta will not test the KTM, and we will not let Miller test our 800cc either…”
He then made Yamaha’s position even clearer by drawing a direct comparison with Miller’s approach. “Fabio should take Jack as an example, as he always gives his maximum and makes sure that even when we are going through a tough time, good spirits remain.”
The comments come not long after Yamaha confirmed they will part ways with Jack Miller in MotoGP, leaving the experienced Queenslander looking for a ride in 2027.
