Quartararo like Marquez: ready to forgo millions to return to winning ways

Quartararo reiterates his stance ahead of the 2026 MotoGP rider market frenzy: Yamaha warned.

Fabio Quartararo has experienced a lot of frustration in recent years. In 2022 he fought to win his second MotoGP world title, but from 2023 a nightmare began that saw him drop out of the battle for the top positions. Only occasionally did the Yamaha M1 allow him to get back to the front. In 2024 he never stepped on the podium and finished the championship in thirteenth place with 113 points. In 2025, with one grand prix to go, he is ninth in the standings with 198 points, 5 behind rookie Fermin Aldeguer.

Even though returning to winning ways quickly isn’t easy, the French rider expected clearer steps forward from the Iwata manufacturer. Surely, launching the V4 engine project took time and resources away from the 2025 season. In 2026 the M1 will be equipped with the new power unit and in recent months the focus has been mainly on that. We’ll see if Yamaha improves significantly—FQ20 is tired of waiting.

In 2024, despite a decidedly negative situation, he decided to renew his contract. Criticism was not lacking, as some thought it was a choice driven solely by the hefty salary offered. Interviewed by Sport.es, Quartararo reiterated why he didn’t leave the Japanese manufacturer: "There were several reasons, for example the fact that Yamaha would have a satellite team and that an engineer I had a lot of confidence in came to work for them. Also, the V4 project was important. And my ego, which thought: ‘We’ve won, we’ve hit rock bottom and we want to get back to the top.’ But I won’t deny that the financial aspect was there. People think it was only for that reason, and it’s not true, but it contributed to my staying at Yamaha."

The offer on the table had an impact—he was honest in admitting it. But for his future he’s ready to make a different choice, because he has a very clear priority: "I can’t wait to see how the new 2026 prototype performs," the French rider admitted. "We’ll make the decision based on that. I’ve thought a lot about the desire to win again with Yamaha, but right now the urge to win again outweighs that. The first thing is to understand the situation; there’s no set date for the decision."

Quartararo wants a winning bike—just as Marc Marquez did when he decided to leave Honda and a lucrative contract to restart with Ducati at the Gresini team. The 2021 MotoGP champion does not rule out making a similar choice: "Marc did it despite existing contracts; it was a more delicate moment, but he gave up a huge amount of money to have a competitive bike. This serves as an example for me when I think about my future. Marc’s gamble, what he achieved, is something I keep in mind."

The MotoGP rider market will be very interesting. Fabio is one of the prized pieces and it’s not a given that he would have to restart with a Ducati satellite team. Certainly, having seen how Gresini Racing works and the results they achieve is something that could attract him in that direction, should a spot open up. But an attempt by Aprilia is not excluded either—they had already tried to sign him before he renewed with Yamaha. Not to mention Honda, which is improving and needs top riders for 2027. There will be various evaluations to make; negotiations will probably kick off after the pre-season tests and the very first grands prix.