Of course, retaining the MotoGP champion if you’re Yamaha is the biggest priority, something they themselves have admitted.
But with Quartararo drawing significant interest from rival manufacturers, could the decision ultimately be out of their hands?
Since joining MotoGP in 2019 Quartararo has been nothing short of spectacular. Often challenging Marc Marquez for poles or wins in his rookie campaign – 2019 was arguably Marquez’ strongest season in the premier class – Quartararo then became a serious title contender in 2020.
That season ended in disappointment as Quartararo failed to get over the line, however, the 22 year-old had no such issues in 2021 as he dominated large parts of the championship en route to his first world title.
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While other big name riders could be looking to jump ship for 2023, such as Joan Mir or Toprak Razgatlioglu coming across from WorldSBK, all eyes remain on Quartararo who is likely to be the first domino to fall.
So where could Quartararo realistically ride in 2023? Well, we’ve picked four manufacturers including his current brand Yamaha.
Fourth on this list is Ducati. Jack Miller is facing increasing pressure and could be set to leave the factory team after being outshone by others in the Ducati’s pool of young riders.
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Quartararo’s ability on the brakes would transition well to the Ducati, a bike that is notoriously known for being smooth on corner entry. And although the Bologna bullets might not possess the turning ability of Yamaha and Suzuki still, big improvements have been made in this area, not to mention Quartararo is of a caliber where making the difference is very possible.
However, with Jorge Martin and in particular championship leader Enea Bastianini looking like the real deal in 2022, staying in-house is likely to be the direction Ducati takes, which is why we’ve listed them last on this list.
3 – Would Suzuki be tempted by a champion for champion swap?
An intriguing option for Quartararo would be Suzuki.
A bike that apparently does everything just as well as the M1, while also being the best on tires and having more power than Yamaha, what’s not to like about the Japanese brand.
In short, nothing!
However, Suzuki is not a manufacturer that often breaks the bank when it comes to signing star riders. Add to this the fact Mir and Alex Rins are performing very well so far this season, is there really a chance Suzuki would willingly move on from either.
Quartararo is likely to command a similar wager as Marquez, which would make joining Suzuki very difficult.
2 – Quartararo to Honda and the impact it would have on Marquez, MotoGP…
The team rumored to have the best chance/most interest in signing Quartararo that’s not named Yamaha, is Repsol Honda.
Like the factory Ducati team with Miller, Pol Espargaro could be looking at a move away from Honda, as MotoGP’s most successful brand aims to get back on top.
Yes, Honda have Marquez who once again showed why he’s an eight-time world champion in COTA and arguably the best rider of all-time, but is that enough given the injury problems.
Signing Quartararo would be a very bold move and one that would not necessarily impact Marquez right away – the Spaniard is contracted until 2024 – but it could be a signal that they’re looking to the future, not just the next couple of seasons.
Honda have made huge gains with their 2022 bike, showing that they won’t stand still after a poor season or two.
Yamaha, while possessing one of the best bikes on the grid, have been heavily criticized for not making enough improvements or taking the opportunity to develop weaker areas, something that has frustrated Quartararo on more than one occasion.
Given Honda’s willingness to revolutionize its RC213V, that’s an issue the Frenchman would appear not to have should he make such a move.
1 – Staying with the manufacturer that has yielded so much success
While frustration and anger at Yamaha’s lack of development has been evident at times for Quartararo, there’s no denying that his abilities, mixed with the strength of the M1, is a formidable force.
The reigning world champion has stressed that more power is needed to battle with the likes of Ducati, Suzuki and Honda, and although we’re yet to see that from Yamaha, to keep Quartararo you would assume promises in terms of bike development would be made .
It’s by no means a foregone conclusion that Quartararo will stay at Yamaha, but given the success they’ve had, it’s the most likely scenario at the moment.
Moreover, Yamaha have been nowhere with established riders Franco Morbidelli and Andrea Dovizioso, once again highlighting that Quartararo is making the difference and is one of very few who can when the bike is not performing as hoped.