Fabio Quartararo to join HRC after deciding to leave Yamaha

MotoGP rider Fabio Quartararo has revealed that his decision to leave Yamaha was made during the Valencia tests last year. After eight years with the manufacturer, the Frenchman sought a change due to a lack of progress with the M1 motorcycle, despite Yamaha's transition to a V4 engine design.

Quartararo has officially signed to join HRC (Honda Racing Corporation) for the 2027 and 2028 seasons. He cited Honda's rapid decision-making and their early commitment to the 850cc engine project as key factors in his choice.

On the track, Quartararo has faced significant technical difficulties. During the Silverstone event, he struggled with tire degradation and a misconfigured tire pressure sensor, which resulted in a penalty that dropped his final race position to 16th. He noted a substantial performance gap between his Yamaha and competitors from Aprilia and Ducati.