Quartararo, Yamaha clear air after test-row tension
NXTbets Pro | Published On: September 11, 2026
Quartararo and Yamaha
Fabio Quartararo and Yamaha met at Misano to clear the air after the criticism that followed the Aragon MotoGP round. Quartararo said the matter was sorted out before the San Marino Grand Prix, and he framed his sharp comments as the product of frustration and emotion. He said both sides said things that maybe were not right, but he did not regret raising the issue.
The relationship reset mattered because Quartararo had taken a hard line after the Austrian test issue. He said he would no longer help develop Yamaha’s bike after he was denied a chance to test 2027 Pirelli tires at that test. Yamaha had kept that decision in place, and the team said Quartararo understood the weight of his words after his criticism that followed Aragon. The manufacturer kept its position in place and focused on working professionally through the end of the season.
Pirelli test dispute
Yamaha management set out its position through Massimo Meregalli, who said the team’s focus was to work professionally through the end of the season and stick to its usual update process. He also said the choice to skip the Austrian test was part of a different plan. That kept the company from shifting course after Quartararo’s public frustration. The meeting at Misano gave both sides a chance to talk through the tension, but the underlying decision on the Pirelli test did not move.
The exchange also showed how quickly a technical issue could turn into a broader question of trust in MotoGP. Quartararo’s criticism did not come from a lack of effort, and Yamaha did not treat it as a break in the relationship. The result was a reset in tone, not a change in policy. Yamaha stayed with its plan, and Quartararo stayed with his view that the test denial mattered.
Quartararo and pace
Quartararo said his main problem was that the bike felt uncompetitive, not that his mindset was off. That distinction mattered for a rider who had built his reputation on speed and precision. He said he needed to express himself better when talking to reporters, a sign that he wanted to avoid letting frustration spill over the same way again. He also said he did not think he needed a psychologist right then. The comments pointed to a rider trying to separate emotion from the technical challenge in front of him.
His track work backed up that sense of urgency. Quartararo was ninth fastest and the top Yamaha rider in Friday morning practice at Misano. That session gave him a clear reference point after the off-track discussion with Yamaha. The result in practice did not erase the larger issue, but it did show Quartararo remained Yamaha’s quickest rider in the opening work at Misano.
