Fabio Quartararo: 2026 Yamaha “will decide my future”, rates Marc Marquez’s season

Fabio Quartararo says his MotoGP future depends heavily on the competitiveness of Yamaha’s 2026 bike, while praising Marc Marquez’s “amazing” return to the top as “10 out of 10”.

Quartararo was left underwhelmed by his first full test of Yamaha’s V4 at Misano.

“So far, I don't see any progress in the areas we need,” he said in Italy. “The top speed is pretty slow. The grip is still not there. We still have a lot of work to do with the electronics. The aerodynamics are more-or-less a copy-and-paste from the Inline4.”

Asked at Motegi if those words were aimed at pressuring Yamaha, GPone.com quotes Quartararo as saying:

“I don't think I need to put a lot of pressure on them, because the bike we’ll be using in 2026 is the one that will decide my future. I think they want to keep me and they know what they have to do.

“So I'm not pushing too hard. I’m just waiting. Clearly, we're only at the beginning, but I hope they'll provide some updates in the areas where we're struggling the most.”

Yamaha is yet to officially confirm that the V4, due to make two more wild-cards with test rider Augusto Fernandez at Sepang and Valencia, will replace the Inline4 next season.

“10 out of 10” for Marquez

Quartararo also reflected on Marc Marquez’s turnaround, with the Ducati Lenovo rider on the verge of his first title since 2019 - when he and Quartararo battled each other for victory in several races.

“For me, what matters is the six years in the middle, between our duels in 2019 and now,” Quartararo said.

“In 2020, he was at his peak. In the first race he was super fast, he came back from the gravel and almost finished second. Then what happened [arm injury], happened. From there, there were more injuries, the bike was no longer competitive, so he moved to a satellite team and then to a factory team.

“His season has just been amazing. Mentally, it’s about how strong he is and his quality as a rider. For me, it’s a 10 out of 10.”