Quartararo and Yamaha settle dispute: nothing changes on the key point

• Clear-the-air meeting held in the week before the San Marino Grand Prix
• Yamaha sticks to its plan: the Pirelli test after the Austrian GP goes ahead without Quartararo
• In first practice at Misano, Quartararo was the fastest Yamaha rider in ninth place

At the end of August, the mood between Fabio Quartararo and Yamaha had hit rock bottom. At the Aragon Grand Prix, the M1 engine went up in smoke on lap five of the sprint, and in the race the Frenchman crossed the line last in 18th place, more than 51 seconds behind winner Marc Marquez. Quartararo then publicly announced that he no longer wanted to work as a test rider for Yamaha on race weekends. Ahead of the Misano weekend he sounds considerably calmer, without giving up his position on the matter.

What was discussed in the meeting between Quartararo and Yamaha?

The content remains internal. Quartararo only confirmed that rider and manufacturer sat down together in the week before the San Marino Grand Prix and that the matter is now settled.

Asked whether he now regrets his comments, the 2021 world champion dodged the question on Thursday in the Misano paddock. „It is not about whether you regret something or not. Out of frustration we may have said things that were not right”, he admitted. „We had a meeting together last week. We cleared everything up.” He did not want to reveal what was said in that conversation, calling it an internal matter. The choice of words is striking: Quartararo consistently speaks in the first person plural, putting responsibility on both sides rather than only on himself.

How does Yamaha assess Quartararo’s criticism?

Yamaha considers the matter closed, but stresses that Quartararo has recognised the weight of his words. Team manager Massimo Meregalli spoke to the pit lane reporter of the MotoGP broadcast on Friday morning during first practice.

„I think Fabio understood the weight of his words after Aragon GP”, Meregalli said. Everything had been cleared up when the rider arrived on Thursday. What matters now is working as professionally as possible until the end of the year. From the team manager’s point of view, what happened in Aragon belongs to the past. Paolo Pavesio, responsible for racing at Yamaha as Managing Director Motor Racing, took the same line in Misano. Both sides are therefore drawing the same conclusion: differing opinions yes, a public exchange of blows no.

Yamaha does not intend to change its way of working. Meregalli emphasised that Quartararo will continue to receive new parts immediately, as soon as they are available. That is how it has always been handled, and that is how the season will be seen through.

Why is Quartararo not allowed to test the Pirelli tyres?

Yamaha is refusing Quartararo a place at the tyre test on the Monday after the Grand Prix in Spielberg because the manufacturer has set up its test programme differently. This is exactly the decision that triggered the entire conflict in the first place.

From 2027, MotoGP switches to Pirelli. The test at the Red Bull Ring would have been Quartararo’s chance to get a first impression of the new tyres before his move. Meregalli explained the refusal by saying Yamaha would in principle have been willing to let the departing rider test if all manufacturers had done the same. Since that was not the case, the plan was drawn up differently. For the second 850cc test on Pirelli tyres, Yamaha is expected to field the future Pramac pairing of Toprak Razgatlioglu and newcomer Izan Guevara. Jorge Martin and Ai Ogura, who join the factory team in 2027, are also likely to be absent because they are still riding for Aprilia.

Quartararo himself confirmed that nothing has changed on this point even after the meeting, saying simply: „No, no changes.” The dispute has therefore been settled in form, but not in substance.

The frustration with the M1 remains

Quartararo makes no secret of the fact that his dissatisfaction with the bike is as great as ever. In Aragon he had to compare new components several times, including a new chassis and a linkage, and each time came to a negative verdict.

„You never get used to difficult moments”, he said in Misano. Frustration always arises when you do not achieve what you set out to do, and knowing that the current package is not at the desired level does not change that. He sees his own ambition as both cause and driving force: „I am competitive myself, and I want to fight.” If he did not care, he would no longer want to race. His own conclusion is self-critical: „I simply have to say the right things at the right time.” In future he wants to vent his anger elsewhere. „Yes, but maybe I need to let it out when I am alone in the motorhome. With you I have to express myself more politely”, said the 27-year-old.

Is Quartararo working with a sports psychologist again?

Not at the moment. Quartararo has worked with sports psychologists in the past, but currently sees no reason to do so because he clearly attributes the cause of his frustration to the bike.

That collaboration began during his Moto2 days and had little to do with the technical side back then, but with himself. He went six or seven times, perhaps more often, but not for around eighteen months now. „My feeling is good, I just do not feel good with the bike at the moment”, he said, describing his situation. By his own account he recognises when the right time for professional support has come: „You feel it when you have to go.” He does not see that point as having been reached right now.

What is possible for Quartararo in Misano?

A slight improvement on Aragon is realistic. Lower temperatures, decent grip and moderate tyre wear suit the Yamaha at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.

In first practice on Friday things went accordingly better: Quartararo was the fastest Yamaha rider in ninth. Engine performance nevertheless remains a factor. The Frenchman rejected the assumption that power matters less on the twisty circuit: „No, it is very important here as well.” The start-finish straight may be short, he said, but sixth gear is also needed on the back straight and in the middle sector. He does not expect any great leaps: „There is no magic that gives us more power. We will work with what we have.”

Emotionally, the weekend is special for him anyway. Quartararo secured the world title at Misano five years ago. „Of course it always means something to me, because it was the most important moment of my career”, he said about the place of his greatest success.

The episode fits into a 2026 season that is above all a transitional year for Yamaha and Quartararo. After eight years together, the paths separate at the end of the year, with the Frenchman moving to Honda in 2027 while Jorge Martin and Ai Ogura take over the Yamaha factory team. Until then, both sides face the task of getting through a sporting difficult phase without further public confrontations.

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