Fabio Quartararo Reveals Near Yamaha Exit Amidst Struggles: Why the 2021 World Champion Decided to Stay

Fabio Quartararo “was prepared to depart” from the Yamaha MotoGP team due to ongoing difficulties.

The 2021 world champion disclosed that he nearly left Yamaha for the 2025 season.

Fabio Quartararo mentioned that he "was prepared to part ways" with Yamaha after the 2024 MotoGP season because of the decline in performance from the Japanese manufacturer.

The French motorcyclist started his MotoGP career with Yamaha in 2019, racing for Petronas SRT. In 2021, he transitioned to Yamaha's factory team and clinched the championship.

In 2022, Quartararo was competing for his second championship title, but by 2023, he hadn't secured a single race victory. Meanwhile, Yamaha has not achieved a podium finish this season, and Quartararo's third-place result in the Jerez sprint was revoked due to a tyre pressure violation.

The 2021 world champion played a significant role in the 2025 rider market. The French rider gave serious thought to an offer from Aprilia before ultimately agreeing to a lucrative two-year contract to stay with Yamaha.

During a YouTube interview with 'Legend,' Quartararo shared that he considers Yamaha to be a historic team.

"When I was a child, my aspiration was to visit that place because Valentino Rossi was there."

"I felt prepared to move on from this brand. Despite it being my ideal team, I believed it was time to depart."

"Yamaha has implemented significant modifications. They have heavily invested in the project by bringing in numerous new engineers."

"It's not beneficial for Yamaha's brand to lag so much in its market."

“Regrettably, returning to the peak isn't something that happens in a matter of weeks or months; it's more likely a process that takes years.”

"Observing discussions with individuals from different companies, who were engaged in significant initiatives, influenced my decision to remain with Yamaha."

"That’s what led me to decide to sign a new two-year contract with Yamaha."

A key reason why Quartararo decided to stay with Yamaha was the appointment of Max Bartolini, who came over from Ducati, as the team's technical director.

Throughout the 2024 campaign, Yamaha has taken advantage of its concession privileges to carry out multiple in-season tests and launch a variety of new components, moving away from the more conservative strategy it had followed in the past.

Yamaha is planning to abandon its inline-four engine design in favor of a V4 engine by 2025.

Despite Yamaha's gradual advancements in 2024, Quartararo acknowledges that the brand's performance drop since 2022 has been challenging for him.

"I believe I've faced issues with both my bicycle and my mental state," he mentioned.

Ultimately, after spending four years contending for the championship, ending up in tenth place one year feels unusual.

“It can make you question yourself, wondering, 'Is it me? What's going on?’”

"Over the past two years, we have seen no progress, while others have significantly advanced."

"Currently, we are trailing, but I believe I've gained significant insights on maintaining composure and, most importantly, on how to improve the bike effectively."

"However, it is accurate to say that it was mentally challenging."

Learn More

Sign Up for Our MotoGP Newsletter

Receive the newest updates, exclusive content, interviews, and special offers from the MotoGP paddock straight to your email.

For additional details, please review our Privacy Policy.

Breaking News

Additional Stories

Site Index

Crash.Net

©1999-2024 Crash Media Group

Reproducing text, photos, or illustrations either in full or in part is strictly prohibited in any manner.