Fabio Quartararo had several proposals on the table, but his final decision to renew with Yamaha leads him to the most difficult path at the height of the European factories. This Friday, the house of Iwata has announced by surprise the signing of a new relationship with the French driver, world champion in 2021 and one of the most coveted talents on the grid at 24 years old, until 2026.
The deep technical crisis of the Japanese brands, accentuated since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020, has placed them several steps behind the championship reference, the Italian Ducati. The dominance of the Bologna brand has been such that even Marc Márquez, eight-time world champion and the highest-paid rider on the grid in the past, decided to break his opulent official contract with Honda to get on one of Borgo Panigale’s satellite motorcycles.
Tempted mainly by Aprilia, which together with the Austrian KTM is much closer to competing face to face with the Desmosedici, Quartararo has decided to stand firm and trust in the radical transformation plan presented this winter by Yamaha. The hiring of top-caliber Ducati engineers, from Marco Nicotra (aerodynamics) to Max Bartolini (technical management), are the most significant demonstration of the change in attitude that has convinced the Nice rider. “This winter, Yamaha showed me that they have a new approach and a new aggressive mentality, and my confidence is high,” says El Diablo, who has accumulated 11 victories, 31 podiums and 16 poles since his arrival in MotoGP.
“Six years ago, they gave me the opportunity to make the jump to MotoGP, and since then we have achieved great things together. We have a long way to go to fight for victories again, but I will work hard and together we can achieve our dream again,” Quartararo emphasizes after signing the new contract. The Frenchman’s drought on the M1 has now lasted 32 races, almost two years without tasting victory and very far from the leading positions with few exceptions. Already in 2022, when it lost the title to Pecco Bagnaia in the last race after a disastrous second half of the course, just coinciding with the beginning of Ducati’s overwhelming dominance in the premier category, Yamaha reacted by incorporating European talent from Formula 1 .
Luca Marmorini, former engineer responsible for the engine and electronics department at Ferrari, laid the first stones for the renewal of the Japanese project. Despite achieving success in improving top speed, weaknesses in other areas ended up unbalancing the strengths of a motorcycle known for its finesse braking and good cornering. The most recent changes seek to round out the transformation that began in 2022 and integrate all the pieces of the new ecosystem at Yamaha, more European than ever.
“We have made significant changes to the organization, including a new internal management system, the recruitment of top-level experts, external technical alliances, a larger development budget and a more intense testing program,” says Lin Jarvis, director of the department of Yamaha racing. “Keeping Fabio as part of the team was key to the project, and we are going to do our best to ensure a bright future with him on the track, taking a more aggressive approach to the development of the bike,” adds the Briton, one of the main people responsible for the golden era of the Iwata factory during the times of Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo.
Quartararo’s continuity at Yamaha brings down another piece of domino in the rider market, where only six riders have their place guaranteed for 2025 on a grid that still has 16 gaps. The Frenchman’s decision also indicates that his factory is close to closing an agreement to once again have a satellite team on the track -predictably VR46 Racing-, another important element when it comes to having more and better data, in addition to the comments from more pilots with diverse styles, to develop the best possible prototype in order to triumph again and win the title in the premier category.
You can follow The USA Print in Facebook and xor sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter.
