Quartararo extends Yamaha deal to 2026

05 April 2024 - 14:06 By Reuters
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Quartararo won the MotoGP title with Yamaha in 2021 after making the step up to the factory team that year when he replaced Valentino Rossi but the 24-year-old has since struggled as Ducati dominated the premier class with a superior bike.
Quartararo won the MotoGP title with Yamaha in 2021 after making the step up to the factory team that year when he replaced Valentino Rossi but the 24-year-old has since struggled as Ducati dominated the premier class with a superior bike.
Image: Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images

Fabio Quartararo will remain on the Yamaha factory bike until 2026 after the former MotoGP champion signed a two-year contract extension, the Japanese manufacturer announced on Friday.

Quartararo won the MotoGP title with Yamaha in 2021 after making the step up to the factory team that year when he replaced Valentino Rossi but the 24-year-old has since struggled as Ducati dominated the premier class with a superior bike.

In 2022, Frenchman Quartararo threw away a 91-point lead in the championship to concede the title to Ducati's Francesco Bagnaia. Last year the Yamaha rider managed only three podiums, finishing a lowly 10th in the championship standings.

There was speculation Quartararo would look for a switch with his contract set to expire at the end of the 2024 season as he made his frustration with the bike public several times, but he has now extended his stay with Yamaha.

“I am super happy to announce I am going to continue my adventure in blue,” Quartararo said.

“Last winter Yamaha proved to me they have a new approach and a new aggressive mindset. My confidence is high; we will be back at the front together.”

Yamaha MD Lin Jarvis said keeping Quartararo was integral to their MotoGP project as they look to return to winning ways.

“We are the first to admit there is much work to do to get back to the competitive level we were at in 2021 and the first half of 2022. But with Fabio you know he will always put in 100%,” he said.

“We have already made significant changes to our organisation including a new internal management system, recruitment of top expertise within the industry, new external technical partnerships, increased development budget and an intensified testing programme.”


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