News The End of the Road in MotoGP: Fabio Quartararo and Yamaha Make Their Expected Split Official

The announcement had been anticipated for many months, as the frustration had become palpable. On Tuesday, June 30, 2026, the Yamaha factory team made official what had seemed inevitable: the end of its partnership with Fabio Quartararo at the conclusion of the 2026 MotoGP season. The manufacturer with the tuning forks is taking this opportunity to make a clean break with the past by also parting ways with Álex Rins. For the French world champion, this is the logical conclusion to a long saga: after spending his entire career in the premier class on an M1 (since 2019), the split is now final.

According to reports from our colleagues at the newspaper L’Équipe, the future of rider number 20 is likely to continue in Japan, but under different colors: he is strongly tipped to join Honda for next season.

From gold to lead: the end of the love affair with the tuning forks

After joining the Yamaha Petronas satellite team in 2019, Fabio Quartararo immediately shook up the pecking order before moving to the factory team in 2021 to succeed Valentino Rossi. It was a winning bet, as the Frenchman clinched the MotoGP world championship title in his very first official year—a feat covered in our article at the time about his 2021 victory.

But after finishing as runner-up in 2022, the honeymoon period gave way to a slow descent into turmoil and repeated complaints from the rider about his bike’s lackluster performance. Tenth in 2023, thirteenth in 2024, then ninth in 2025... The 2026 season only confirmed the dead end, with the rider from Nice sitting in fourteenth place in the championship with 45 points, despite a few flashes of brilliance (5th in Catalonia, 6th at Le Mans). The split reflects a mutual weariness, even though his overall record remains historic: 12 wins and 39 podium finishes, which can be found in detail on Fabio Quartararo’s rider profile.

Paolo Pavesio, the newly appointed general manager of Yamaha Motor Racing, was keen to acknowledge this longevity: Fabio’s journey with Yamaha spans eight years, during which we’ve shared great successes and difficult moments. [...] Beyond the results, it is this journey that defines our relationship, and in the end, Fabio will always remain one of Yamaha MotoGP’s true legends.

The French champion reacted with restraint and emotion on his social media:“I’d like to sincerely thank Yamaha for giving me my chance at the highest level [...]. Together, we’ve experienced unforgettable moments. Today, I feel that this is the right time to take on a new challenge, start fresh, and push myself to new limits by exploring new horizons.

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A post shared by Fabio Quartararo (@fabioquartararo20)

Le Mans: A Final Stand Before the French Crowd

For French fans, Fabio Quartararo’s performances at the Bugatti Circuit in Le Mans marked the end of this chapter. Fourth in 2022 and seventh in 2023, he suffered heavy crashes in 2024 and 2025 while starting from pole position.

In May 2026, riding a Yamaha that was already on its last legs, his sixth-place finish in front of his home crowd felt like an honorable last stand on a track where his last podium finish (3rd) dated back to the year he won the championship. “It’s always a pleasure to arrive at the French Grand Prix and see all this energy—it really boosts morale,” he said at the time. A new chapter is beginning, and he will now attempt to take the Sarthe by storm under a different banner.

A departure that overshadows Yamaha’s future in Moto3

This is the paradox of the timing of this announcement: the official confirmation of his departure, though expected, overshadows another major development for the Iwata-based company. As we explained recently, Yamaha will become the exclusive supplier for Moto3 in 2028 with the introduction of its R7.

This is a superb strategic opportunity for the brand’s future and for developing young talent—one that is unfortunately being pushed into the background byEl Diablo’s departure. Yamaha is preparing for the future, but will have to rebuild its MotoGP program without its longtime leader.