Yamaha’s working relationship with Fabio Quartararo is no longer as close as it was at the start of the season. Team boss Massimo Meregalli described it as “a little colder”, while the 2021 world champion is already committed to joining Honda for the 2027 campaign.

The disagreement became public at the Aragon Grand Prix. Quartararo said he would stop contributing to Yamaha’s 2027 development after the team refused to let him test Pirelli tyres following the Austrian Grand Prix. Yamaha has struggled to move its new V4 motorcycle up the order, adding to the rider’s frustration. The dispute was subsequently addressed in talks, after which Quartararo took part in development testing at the Red Bull Ring.

Meregalli nevertheless made clear that the professional cooperation remains in place. He said the atmosphere in the garage between the mechanics and engineers is still good, even though Yamaha’s broader relationship with its riders has become cooler. He also argued that disappointment or frustration can sometimes lead riders to make comments that do not fully reflect what they intended to say.

Yamaha will continue giving Quartararo whatever it has available until the final race of the season. Meregalli cited Jorge Lorenzo as a precedent, saying the team continued developing Lorenzo’s motorcycle through the last race before his departure in 2026. The 2027 reshuffle will affect almost the entire Yamaha line-up: Toprak Razgatlioglu is the exception, while Alex Rins and Jack Miller are leaving MotoGP.