Quartararo signs new MotoGP deal with Yamaha despite 2025 rumours

Quartararo made his MotoGP debut in 2019 with Yamaha at the satellite Petronas Sepang Racing Team, scoring seven podiums in a stunning rookie campaign.

This earned him a promotion to the factory squad in 2021 to replace Valentino Rossi, with Quartararo arriving there as a three-time race winner following the 2020 campaign.

Quartararo went on to win the world championship in 2021 and fought to the wire the following year, but missed out to Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia as the M1 struggled for form.

Those struggles continued into 2023, with Quartararo only scoring three podiums and finishing 10th in the standings.

With his Yamaha contract up at the end of 2024, speculation has been rife that the Frenchman could move elsewhere for 2025.

However, on Friday morning Yamaha announced it had agreed a new two-year deal with Quartararo to lock him down until the end of 2026.

Quartararo had been vocal throughout 2023 about Yamaha’s need to change its approach to bike development in order to convince him to stick with the project, though a number of personnel changes – including the arrival of Max Bartolini from Ducati - had enthused Quartararo over the winter.

However, the competitiveness of the M1 was described by him as “further away than ever” from its rivals after the opening round of the 2024 campaign in Qatar.

Quartararo was 11th in Qatar and seventh in the Portuguese GP, and continued to tell the media that he was engaging in discussions with rival manufacturers.

Despite Yamaha’s form not currently matching expectations, Quartararo said in a Yamaha press release about his new deal that his confidence has been significantly boosted by the Japanese marque’s efforts behind the scenes.

“I am super happy to announce that I am going to continue my adventure in blue,” he said.

“Last winter Yamaha proved to me that they have a new approach and a new aggressive mindset. My confidence is high: we will be back at the front together!

“Six years ago, they gave me the chance to step up to MotoGP, and since then we have achieved great things together.

“We still have a long way ahead of us to start fighting for victory again. I will work hard, and I am sure that, together, we will achieve our dream once more!”

Due to its poor results last year, Yamaha does have use of extensive concession benefits in 2024 – including unrestricted testing and free engine development – aimed at boosting it up the order.

Quartararo’s signing is another significant move in the 2025 rider market, with Ducati’s Bagnaia, KTM’s Brad Binder and LCR Honda’s Johann Zarco joining the Yamaha rider in having deals through to the end of 2026.

Ducati has also put Moto2 star Fermin Aldeguer to a two-year contract, though what team he will race for remains unclear at this stage.