Yamaha convinces Quartararo to stay.

Champion of MotoGP 2021, Fabio Quartararo revealed how Yamaha managed to keep him as a rider until 2026. Quartararo’s initial contract with Yamaha yielded impressive results, including eight victories, 20 podiums, and a championship title. However, his extension to 2023-24 has been less successful, with Yamaha lagging behind their European competitors. This led Quartararo to consider other options outside of Yamaha, although his choices were limited. Aprilia emerged as a potential alternative, but Quartararo decided to stay with Yamaha due to a convincing and confidential plan presented to him by the team’s top executives. He emphasized the significant changes in Yamaha’s approach and their commitment to addressing the issues that arose during testing. Quartararo also expressed gratitude for Yamaha’s loyalty and the arrival of Massimo Bartolini, a former figure of Ducati who now leads Yamaha’s operations on the track. Although Yamaha still has work to do to compete with the top teams, Quartararo believes that the team’s high budget for bike improvements will lead to significant progress in the near future. He is optimistic about the team’s chances of competing at the front of the grid in the upcoming seasons.