Fabio Quartararo has come under fire from MotoGP fans after comments suggesting he’ll no longer be involved in Yamaha’s bike development, a role he’s taken seriously since stepping into the team.
Quartararo became Yamaha’s main man when he replaced Valentino Rossi, and just a year later, he delivered them a world championship. His success on the track was rewarded with a contract that put him among the sport’s top earners, pulling in £10.5m per season.
But since then, Yamaha haven’t been able to give him another title-challenging machine. He led Bagnaia by 91 points halfway through the season but ended up losing the championship by 17 points as Ducati’s pace took over.
Since then, wins have dried up too. Quartararo hasn’t tasted victory since Germany in 2022, and with Yamaha struggling again this season – especially with their new V4 engine – it wasn’t surprising when news broke in January that Quartararo would move to Honda for 2027.
Fabio Quartararo faces backlash over comments about Yamaha’s bike development
With his future away from Yamaha already decided, Quartararo hasn’t held back in his criticism of the team’s direction. At the United States Grand Prix, he went as far as to say that Yamaha have “no idea” how to fix their bike, following a race where all their riders finished at the back of the field.
Yamaha managing director Paolo Pavesio had previously asked him to keep such matters internal, but Quartararo made it clear in Texas that he plans to step back from any further development input. “I think that now I try to be a little bit out of the development because I think I have already said what we need, what they have to do,” he told The Race. “But I will not repeat it every time. Right now, every time they know what I said, they know what all the riders said.”
His decision comes just ahead of an important in-season test at Jerez on April 27 and has sparked a backlash among fans. One Instagram user called him an “unprofessional athlete” for stepping away from his role.
Another commented: “I like Fabio, but he’s coming across as surly and childish (and a very well-paid one at that).” A third added: “Bye! Don’t let the door hit you on your way out! No one needs your negative comments anyway.”
The public airing of issues hasn’t gone unnoticed either. As one fan put it: “Again and again, something that must be kept internally but said to the media instead.”
There are even calls for change within Yamaha’s line-up before his departure. One fan suggested promoting Toprak Razgatlioglu into Quartararo’s seat immediately, likening it to Red Bull Racing’s approach in Formula 1 when handling underperforming drivers.