Could MotoGP Champion Fabio Quartararo leave Yamaha … and …

The dust has only just settled over his success in the MotoGP World Championship 2021, but for Fabio Quartararo and his colleagues, the off-season is not just about taking off their shoes and enjoying a break, it is also the time for the managers to earn something their 15 percent in contract negotiations.

The Frenchman is signed and sealed with Yamaha for 2022, but remains free agent for 2023 and beyond.

Yamaha reacted quickly when it realized the talent it had in its hands after its stellar 2019 rookie campaign in Quartararo.

In only its third MotoGP season – and first in factory blue – to take the drivers’ championship, Yamaha will certainly aim to pin its rider down as quickly as possible … but could he be lured away?

Related articles

Will Fabio Quartararo leave Yamaha MotoGP?

One look at Quartararo’s Yamaha-equipped rise to the top of the MotoGP hierarchy, you’ll wonder why he wanted to leave.

Well, that’s true to a certain extent, and not just because he won a world title with the manufacturer. Quartararo’s technical driving style – pinpoint accuracy in precisely aligning the apex – almost makes it an extension of the Yamaha M1, where handling always came before performance.

It’s a style Quartararo can tap into with ease, especially over a single lap or in the clear as most of his wins show by some margin over the rivals behind them.

However, if Quartararo does not drive this exemplary lap, he is in a more difficult position. Indeed, the Yamaha M1’s obvious compromise on top speed became more apparent over the course of the 2021 season, not least because Ducati – so often viewed as the Yamaha antithesis – demonstrated with the GP21 that you can brake quickly and well .

Quartararo may be the fastest in corners, but that’s not much use if another bike is parked on the top in front of you.

That’s why Quartararo has stated that he won’t be signing any dotted lines until the first tests of 2022, when he gets his hands on the latest machine. He has tried to use his newfound talisman status with Yamaha to push it to deliver a faster M1 and is warning the Japanese company that it is falling behind in the development race.

Could he call her bluff if he didn’t meet his demands? Well, it’s hard to see another bike on the grid that goes as well with Quartararo’s style as the M1 … but making your frustration public could be taken as an early warning sign that he’s more open to alternative offers will be.

And while the Yamaha suits him well, what can you say another manufacturer won’t try to adapt their bike to the French? The ball is yours, Yamaha …

Fabio Quartararo’s possible MotoGP options for 2023

Ducati

While Ducati offers many opportunities to deliver eight motorcycles in 2022, there is already fierce competition for the factory headquarters of Pecco Bagnaia and Jack Miller, with Jorge Martin, Johann Zarco and Enea Bastianini alone waiting in the starting blocks.

On the other hand, Quartararo is exactly the rider Ducati wants to poach from Yamaha, and he has the bike that Quartararo wants to study carefully when developing Yamaha’s 2022 M1.

A possible marriage in heaven? Well, Ducati is likely to wind down Quartararo – as Marc Marquez has done on numerous occasions – and given the GP21’s performance advantage towards the end of the year, he’ll likely be listening.

Money won’t be an issue, but while Quartararo may long to experience the Desmosedici’s top speed, it won’t suit his driving style on paper. If the Yamaha is left behind on the straight at the start of the test, don’t rule it out …

Honda

You’d think a multi-title manufacturer would be a rider’s choice … but Honda is perhaps the hardest to sell right now.

First, Quartararo is unlikely to be enthusiastic about the idea of ​​joining a team that revolves primarily around Marc Marquez while joining any other team as a # 1 nominated driver.

Second, two difficult years have tried to fill the void left by chief developer Dani Pedrosa and an injured Marquez that exposed the Honda RC213V as a tricky and spirited motorcycle. Maybe when Marquez leaves Honda, but not before.

Suzuki

While Ducati might be the most logical choice in terms of absolute competitiveness, Suzuki might well be Quartararo’s most sensible option. Leaving a fairly lackluster 2021 campaign aside, the Suzuki GSX-RR mirrors the Yamaha M1 with its slightly compromised setup that can make riders catch up in races.

However, it turned out to be the most consistent and well-rounded package on the way to the title in 2020, with only its conservative approach to development over the winter being responsible for it being overtaken by rivals that year.

The GSX-RR offers smooth handling, is competitive (if not incredibly) fast in a straight line, and is tire easy, while Quartararo’s single-lap skills could do wonders for his qualifying luck.

In addition, Suzuki is pliable and flexible when it comes to adapting to the needs of its drivers, which Quartararo clearly craves. When Suzuki gets into winter testing fights like it does in 2020, expect Quartararo to keep a close eye on this …

KTM

An interesting prospect, but perhaps too big a leap of faith for Quartararo as early as 2023. The Austrian manufacturer certainly has the money and the ambition to approach the French and the RC16 is clearly a fast bike in its day.

The team’s relative rookie status, however, means that it is noticeably struggling to fight its way out of development flaws, while it likely has enough talent in its books not to get caught up in a bidding war, including a world champion.

Aprilia

Aprilia would have to impress heavily in the first few rounds of the 2022 MotoGP season – if Quartararo hasn’t already signed – to get Quartararo noticed … and it would probably require Piaggio to make a bigger investment than it is likely to offer.

Still, when Quartararo gets frustrated in the middle of the season and revs his engine to submit, who knows….