New team tipped as 'place to go’ for Fabio Quartararo, ‘crunch time’ at Yamaha

Yamaha have been warned that Fabio Quartararo could start touting his services on the rider market unless their project drastically improves.

Quartararo has scored four pole positions, a mightily impressive return and also a signal of Yamaha’s progress from last year’s desperation.

However, despite leading at the British MotoGP, his bike hasn’t enabled Quartararo the chance to consistently fight for grand prix wins and his patience might run out.

Quartararo’s contract - reportedly the best-paying rider deal - expires at the end of 2026.

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“They are up against it, trying to convince Fabio to stay,” Lewis Duncan told the Crash MotoGP podcast.

Jordan Moreland asled: “Are we going to see a Marc Marquez situation with Quartararo? Where he sees his career and says ‘I could be winning titles, I don’t want to wait’.

“I sense that the next year is the crucial part of this relationship and whether it continues.

“We’ll see how it develops and whether Fabio is committed to the project.

“Or does he want to go somewhere else?”

Duncan replied: “They need to convince him that they have winning project. And they don’t now.”

Tempting new team identified for Fabio Quartararo

Fabio Quartararo won’t be short of offers if he is available in 2027, when the new MotoGP rules come into play.

Lewis Duncan continued: “Fabio’s confidence is being tested by ‘I have committed maybe longer than I should have done, Max Bartolini is keeping me here because I want to see what he can do, but the bike isn’t taking the step forwards’.

“He knows he will be sought-after. There will be a good bike for him in 2027.

“Those contracts will be signed in January or February so, really, it’s six months.

“Yamaha need to get the V4 on track and prove its an immediate step forward to really convince Fabio, or someone will come along with a contract and say ‘do you fancy it?’

“If it’s the right offer on the right bike he might say ‘I do’.

“He has given enough to Yamaha. He won a championship then stayed even though they dipped.

“He could have been on an Aprilia this year, a bike which has won races. That might have weighed on his mind.

“He will have looked at Marco Bezzecchi and thought ‘I could have been on that bike’.

“I think Fabio will look at it and say: ‘Next time, when contracts come around, maybe that’s the place to go, maybe we can get a deal over the line which suits me’.

“It’s crunch time at Yamaha.”

Aprilia have, in recent weeks, established themselves as race winners and a consistent threat to Ducati.

Bezzecchi won at Silverstone after Quartararo agonisingly crashed from the lead.

Last weekend, Bezzecchi finished second at Assen.