Fabio Quartararo between testing and the rider market: "Future with Honda? Here's the truth"

Quartararo ready for the MotoGP test in Sepang: he also commented on recent market rumors linking him to Honda.

Fabio Quartararo has already completed two days of shakedown in Malaysia thanks to the concessions granted to Yamaha, and is now set to take on three days of testing alongside the rest of the MotoGP grid. The first true collective comparison of 2026. For Yamaha, which is adopting a V4 engine this year, it is essential to cover as many kilometers as possible and work effectively to put together a competitive package. There is a very specific development program to carry out in Sepang.

The 2021 MotoGP champion is not committing to an opinion on the new M1 yet; he wants to ride it more before offering more detailed judgments: "I can’t say much about the Shakedown. We need more time to better understand the new bike - reports Motosa - especially the engineers. Some of them have already worked with the V4, but most, particularly the Japanese, lack experience. We’ll see how we get on during these three days of testing, with everyone on track. I hope we can make progress. We’ll need to compare our performance with that of the others and we’ll also have some details to fine-tune."

Quartararo emphasizes the need to adapt his riding style to the 2026 Yamaha, given that with the inline-four version he had to ride differently: "I have to adapt to a new riding style because the bike is different. Last year our strength was corner speed; the M1 V4 is not at that level, but we have room for improvement. I’m riding differently and I still need to figure out how to get 100% out of this bike."

In recent days his future move to the Honda HRC team was reported as a done deal, but the French rider wants to put a stop to the leaks and explain the situation: "The only thing I can confirm today is that I’m talking with several teams and Honda is one of them, but I haven’t signed anything. Negotiating with Yamaha too? Of course, although I can’t reveal everything. We’re talking with many teams and I will take the time needed to decide. At the moment nothing has been decided or signed yet. It’s not a matter of money; it’s the joy of being on the podium. I want to win."

In recent days Quartararo had already dismissed as “chatter” the rumors about his future with Honda. This doesn’t mean that he won’t end up signing with HRC, and it’s not the first time a rider has denied the existence of an agreement that in reality has been reached. We’ll see what happens. Surely a rider like him will have no trouble finding a seat, and time will tell whether the choice was the right one. In 2027 there will be new technical regulations and a new tire supplier (Pirelli), so manufacturers will start with projects very different from the current ones, and riders will have to gamble, hoping they’ve backed the right brand. The pecking order on track in 2027 could be different from that of 2026.