Quartararo on Yamaha future: “I had alternatives - don’t be afraid of change”
Yamaha Racing managing director Lin Jarvis exclusively told Crash.net about Quartararo “I hope he stays for many years” but the former world champion’s long-term future is uncertain.
He witnessed the MotoGP championship that he won for the first time in 2021 dwindle away on the final day of the 2022 season to Francesco Bagnaia who profited from Ducati’s advantage in numbers and performance.
Quartararo is contracted for another two seasons but has told Motorsport-Magazin.com: “I wouldn't say scary [for a rider to change manufacturer]. Of course, when you change manufacturers, you never know exactly what to expect there.
“Currently, however, almost every motorcycle has its positive aspects. In the world championship, Yamaha, Aprilia, Ducati and Suzuki were at the forefront. Honda has also been strong at times this year, KTM won in Indonesia with Miguel Oliveira and was close in Qatar with Brad Binder.
“You have to adapt, of course, but you will hardly get into the situation that you have a bad bike. There are always positive and negative aspects, but in the current situation you don't have to be afraid of any change.”
Quartararo revealed that he had options to quit Yamaha before signing his latest deal: “Well, we already had alternatives. But I honestly don't like to deal with such things.
“My job is to think about the present and to do my best in it. I want to have the best package available and be in the project that suits me best.
“That's why I gave myself a lot of time for this decision and thought about it for a long time. That was absolutely necessary for me to make sure that we were well positioned for the next few years.”
Yamaha boss Jarvis told Crash.net about Quartararo’s evolution since winning the 2021 title: “He became a calmer, more rational person. Less prone to anger and frustration and so forth. He still has that, because any racer has that anger and frustration if you don't get your performance, but you can then compartmentalise that.
“You can express it but then park it and get on with the job. And that's a great skill that he has as well. Definitely, I would say in the last 18 months, he's matured as a person.
“I hope he will stay with Yamaha for many years and I believe he has the potential to be world champion multiple times.”
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
