QUARTARARO'S YAMAHA MOTOGP EXTENSION DOWN TO 'HUGE CONFIDENTIAL' CHANGES
Fabio Quartararo’s decision to remain with Yamaha’s Motogp team was down to “confidential” changes that are “huge” in helping it get back to the front of the grid. Last week the 2021 champion announced he would be staying with Yamaha through 2026, which will see him earn a reported €12 million per term. The Frenchman had been linked with a move elsewhere on the grid amid a challenging start to 2024, but he has now pledged his commitment to the Japanese marque. Speaking at the Circuit of the Americas, Quartararo revealed that a meeting held with Yamaha’s top brass to discuss their ambitions was vital in him opting to extend.
“Of course we talked to different manufacturers,” he told Motorsport.com. “The decision was not easy. But in Portugal we had a great meeting with top management of Yamaha, engineers, about the project from now until the end of the year and 2025 and 2026. There are some really interesting things, which are still confidential in Yamaha, new people, and the project is going to be huge. So, the decision was made in Portugal.”
Yamaha’s revival started over the winter period following the big statement acquisition with the hire of long-time Ducati engineer Max Bartolini as Technical Director. Quartararo disclosed that Yamaha’s extensive budget and its desire to recapture the glories that saw him crowned champion three seasons ago was a vital factor.
“I think also one of the reasons is the budget in terms of improving the bike is really high in Yamaha,” he said. “With the arrival of Max Bartolini from Ducati, he really brought us some good ideas and Yamaha can make it quick – but not super quick because we need a little bit of time. But this is something super important and already next year it [the bike] can be quite different. It was great because for me in Portugal it was a lot of information that made me want to stay. First of all, it’s the project that Yamaha is building for the future, starting from now of course… well, from January. What really made me want to stay was the way we totally change the way of working. Already from testing in Malaysia, something was not working and some engineers wanted to take it out [from the bike] already. But some engineers said ‘no, we will resolve the problem’ and it [then] worked. Also some confidential projects for the future that is going to be huge, that Yamaha is investing a lot in the project. When a brand like Yamaha, it will be my sixth year this year, really wants to keep me it’s loyalty from them also.”
When asked whether he believed Yamaha could be competitive in the timeframe of his new contract, Quartararo replied: “Yes. I don’t know when. I think this year it will not be easy because we started a little bit too late. But already we will see some steps coming at halfway in the season and hopefully we can make some more steps to the front.”