Yamaha Refutes Rumors: “It’s Absurd to Say Quartararo Will Leave”

As MotoGP arrives at Balaton Park for the Hungarian Grand Prix, Yamaha have pushed back firmly against speculation surrounding Fabio Quartararo’s long-term future. Following a disastrous weekend in Austria where both factory YZR-M1s struggled at the back of the grid, questions resurfaced about the Frenchman’s patience with the project. But Yamaha Motor Racing boss Paolo Pavesio has dismissed the chatter, insisting that talk of Quartararo leaving the team after 2026 “makes no sense” at this stage of the contract.

Austrian Disaster Fuels Speculation

The backdrop to this discussion was Yamaha’s nightmare showing at the Red Bull Ring. The Austrian circuit has historically been a poor fit for the YZR-M1, with its emphasis on acceleration and top-end speed, but 2025’s edition was particularly painful. The Yamaha riders filled the last four positions in the race, with Fabio Quartararo the first of them across the line. For a rider who captured the 2021 MotoGP World Championship, the result was sobering and left him admitting afterward that he felt “a bit lost.”

The slump only amplified earlier remarks Quartararo made this season about the urgency to win again, having not tasted victory since 2022. With rivals like Ducati and Aprilia setting the pace and KTM remaining strong, pressure has mounted on Yamaha to deliver not only incremental gains but a fundamental turnaround.

Pavesio: Too Early to Talk About 2027

Despite the outside noise, Paolo Pavesio urged patience. Speaking to MotoGP’s international TV feed during FP1 in Hungary, Yamaha’s Managing Director reminded fans and journalists alike that Quartararo’s contract has only just entered its second year.

“I think we made a decision, together with Fabio, one year ago to sign for another two years and 44 racing weekends,” Pavesio said. “We are only 13 weekends into that. For sure, we can’t, at the moment, talk about the future and our primary target would be to convince Fabio through a better racing package. But, honestly speaking, to start talking about this now, makes no sense.”

In other words, Yamaha believe that the relationship with Quartararo remains secure at least until the end of 2026, and discussions about what comes after should only take place once significant development progress is visible.

The V4 Question Lingers

Of course, the elephant in the room remains Yamaha’s potential V4 engine project. With Ducati, KTM, and Aprilia all running competitive V4 configurations, Yamaha’s inline-four design has looked increasingly outdated in the modern MotoGP era. Rumors have circulated for months that a switch could be on the horizon, and Yamaha’s recent struggles only fueled speculation that the move might be accelerated.

Asked about the matter, Pavesio was cautious: “As we always said, the future of the V4 depends on how quick we can be to achieve the correct level to turn the project into a race project from a development project. I think it’s not a secret that yesterday and the day before Augusto [Fernandez] and Dovi [Andrea Dovizioso] were riding in Misano. To be honest, we are coming closer to a decision.”

This acknowledgment confirms that Yamaha are deep into evaluation, but whether a V4 project will be ready in time to satisfy Quartararo’s ambitions remains unclear.

Quartararo’s Challenge: Patience Versus Ambition

From Quartararo’s perspective, the Hungarian round represents another critical test of Yamaha’s trajectory. His patience is not infinite, and his body language after Austria suggested frustration. Yet he has also shown loyalty and resilience in working closely with the team, determined to help them rebuild.

Quartararo’s championship mindset means he will not settle for midfield battles indefinitely. His commitment to Yamaha through 2026 was already a bold move, signaling faith that the manufacturer could rediscover competitiveness. But if progress stalls, speculation about 2027 and beyond will inevitably return, regardless of Yamaha’s current insistence that such talk is premature.

Learning From Struggles

Pavesio emphasized that even in Austria, Yamaha tried to extract positives: “It’s easy to say, but even in Spielberg we could improve a bit. We knew it was very difficult and it ended up to be more difficult than expected, but through difficulty we need to learn, keep working, and it’s very good to be here already back on track.”

The sentiment reflects Yamaha’s broader approach in 2025 — acknowledging that they remain behind but continuing to build step by step. The Hungarian Grand Prix, at the new Balaton Park circuit, offers another chance to measure that development under conditions very different from Austria.

Conclusion: Yamaha’s Faith in the Future

For now, Yamaha are adamant that Fabio Quartararo’s exit speculation is misplaced. With two years left on his contract and active development projects ongoing — including the much-discussed V4 engine — the team believes they still have time to convince their star rider of a brighter future.

But in MotoGP, time is both an ally and an enemy. Quartararo’s hunger to win again, coupled with Yamaha’s current struggles, means every race weekend carries enormous weight. If Yamaha can show tangible steps forward in 2025 and 2026, they may indeed secure Quartararo’s commitment beyond the current deal. If not, the whispers about his future — dismissed for now as “nonsense” — could quickly evolve into reality.