Quartararo's latest broadside at Yamaha: "They don't know how to fix it"

The problems at Yamaha are far from being resolved: after three Grands Prix, Fabio Quartararo has collected just 5 points in the MotoGP riders' standings. In Texas he recorded a sixteenth place in qualifying; in the Sprint, eleventh, therefore no points, and in the race seventeenth, preceded by the M1s of Toprak Razgatlioglu and Jack Miller in 16th.

The switch from the inline four-cylinder engine to the V4 has worsened the situation in the Iwata garage, which is struggling to keep up with the best in MotoGP. The situation is critical, and there is tension between the Japanese manufacturer's top management and its riders. During the Sepang tests they had to halt on-track action due to a potentially dangerous power unit, an episode that still hangs in the air within Yamaha’s walls. A terrible embarrassment that calls into question the work carried out by the engineers over the last year and a half, since they announced the adoption of the V4.

The results speak for themselves: in the first three races of the 2026 season, Yamaha riders are at the bottom of the overall standings. Fabio Quartararo’s best result is a single point in the MotoGP Sprint in Brazil. Alex Rins has collected just three points, Toprak Razgatlioglu scored his first point in Austin, while Jack Miller is still on zero. The French champion is tired of waiting for solutions and can’t wait to move to Honda in 2027, even if the official announcement is still pending.

After the Grand Prix of the Americas, Fabio Quartararo couldn’t contain his disappointment. It’s not the first time; he has already been reprimanded by Yamaha personnel in the past. "Honestly, I don’t think there’s anything to learn from a race like this," said the Nice-born rider. "I’m trying to do things a bit differently, to experiment during the race, because we’re so far behind that I could try a few little things, but it’s clear it doesn’t work."

It won’t be an easy MotoGP championship, and Quartararo knows it all too well. And there won’t be any short-term positive changes. The brand’s future in MotoGP is set. He’s not expecting major updates, with Yamaha sailing in rough waters, uncertain which direction to take. "I already expect it will be a very long season. The team has no idea how to solve all the problems we have with the bike." The only approach is patience. "I think, mentally, we have to stay calm. We’ve raced once, one fewer, and we have a month-long break ahead, so fully switching off will do us good."