Fabio Quartararo admitted his Yamaha MotoGP future depends entirely on its bike for the 2026 season after an underwhelming V4 test in Misano.
Quartararo has been loyal to Yamaha since the Japanese manufacturer signed him for the 2019 season, and has remained with the factory team despite its recent woes.
However, the Frenchman voiced complaints about the lack of power on his M1 machinery, which prompted Yamaha to create its V4 engine in a bid to catch up with its MotoGP rivals.
The engine debuted with Augusto Fernandez as part of his wildcard duties ahead of the crucial Misano test, however, Quartararo was underwhelmed by the factory’s efforts and revealed in Motegi that 2026 will decide his Yamaha future.
“I don’t think I need to put a lot of pressure on them, because the bike we’ll be using in 2026 is the one that will decide my future,” Quartararo told GPOne.
“I think they want to keep me and they know what they have to do, so I’m not pushing too hard. I’m just waiting.
“Clearly, we’re only at the beginning, but I hope they’ll provide some updates in the areas where we’re struggling the most.”
Yamaha is yet to officially confirm that the V4 will replace the Inline4 next season.
Fabio Quartararo praises ‘amazing’ Marc Marquez ahead of MotoGP match point
Quartararo also heaped praise on rival Marc Marquez ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, after the Frenchman duelled with the Spaniard throughout his previous title campaign.
Marquez has a chance to claim his ninth world title in Motegi this weekend, which would bring the Spanish rider level with Valentino Rossi’s number of championships.
Quartararo praised Marquez’s “quality as a rider” and admitted he has been amazed by the Ducati rider’s comeback aboard the GP25.
“For me, what matters is the six years in the middle, between our duels in 2019 and now,” Quartararo said.
“In 2020, he was at his peak. In the first race he was super fast, he came back from the gravel and almost finished second.
“Then what happened [arm injury], happened. From there, there were more injuries, the bike was no longer competitive, so he moved to a satellite team and then to a factory team.
“His season has just been amazing. Mentally, it’s about how strong he is and his quality as a rider. For me, it’s a 10 out of 10.”
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