Quartararo says Yamaha abandoned V4 development, halting upgrades

Fabio Quartararo has openly accused Yamaha of abandoning development of its new V4 MotoGP machine and said the bike remains “the same as it was in September 2025,” blaming a lack of reaction from the factory for his slide in form and a growing strain in relations. He said he does not expect a meaningful response from Yamaha this season after the late switch to the V4 layout, conceded “there is no point in always being angry,” and also downplayed any permanent damage to his relationship with the manufacturer while expressing gratitude toward Yamaha. Quartararo identified grip and persistent front-end feel problems as the central factors undermining his results, and also flagged issues with turning, top speed, acceleration, cornering and aerodynamics. He said he had been faster at Le Mans and Catalunya when using Yamaha’s earlier front wing but expects few short-term fixes, adding “it’s going to be a long six months.” The criticism followed a difficult Mugello weekend where Quartararo scored no points and finished 18th, Jack Miller was 15th, Toprak Razgatlıoğlu 16th and Alex Rins crashed after qualifying for Q2. Reports vary on his championship position, with sources placing him 14th or 15th in the standings and one report listing 37 points, and he is on course for his lowest-ever season finish. Yamaha has reallocated many resources toward a 2027 development project and the incoming 850cc era, a shift the factory says helps explain the dip in current-season competitiveness. Team principal Paolo Pavesio said “Balaton Park will reveal a lot about our potential,” casting the Hungarian round as a near-term test of whether Yamaha can stabilise performance while its long-term programme advances. Media reports also link Quartararo to a move to Honda next season, but that transfer has not been officially confirmed.