P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Quartararo signs new MotoGP deal with Yamaha despite 2025 rumours
Fabio Quartararo debuted in MotoGP in 2019 with the satellite Petronas Sepang Racing Team and had an impressive rookie season with seven podium finishes. In 2021, he moved up to the factory Yamaha team, replacing Valentino Rossi, after winning three races in 2020. Quartararo won the world championship in 2021 and narrowly missed out on the title in 2022 to Francesco Bagnaia. Despite Yamaha’s struggles in 2023, Quartararo signed a new two-year contract to stay with the team until the end of 2026. The French rider expressed confidence in Yamaha’s new approach and mindset, aiming to return to the front of the grid together. Yamaha’s poor performance in 2023 granted them concession benefits for 2024, including extra testing and engine development opportunities to improve their competitiveness. Quartararo’s contract extension was a significant move in the 2025 rider market, joining Bagnaia, Binder, Zarco, and Moto2 star Fermin Aldeguer in securing deals through 2026.
