Fabio Quartararo: Satellite Yamaha team ‘must have factory bikes’

It’s still unclear if Yamaha will succeed in its search for a satellite MotoGP team in 2025.

But the manufacturer’s star rider Fabio Quartararo has underlined the importance of not only having more M1s on the MotoGP grid but giving them full factory-spec machinery.

The Frenchman graduated to the official team via Yamaha’s previous Petronas satellite outfit, which only had access to one factory-spec bike.

With VR46 appearing to favour a renewal with Ducati, Pramac has emerged as a surprise contender for the future satellite Yamaha role. But as yet, no deal has been announced.

“We - Yamaha and also myself - are working a lot to have a satellite team. It's really important,” Quartararo reiterated.

“Even if you check how many laps we can do in the pre-season. The number compared to Ducati [with eight bikes] is completely different. You can test many more things and have the comments of many more riders.

“I don’t even say ‘satellite team’ [because] for me it must be an extension of a factory team. They must have factory bikes, factory support and I think also it is important for the riders.

“In the end, the people on the same bike are your first rival, but if you have more [than one ‘team-mate’] then it gives you even more motivation and you can learn more from the others.”

Presently, each Independent team is able to seek a deal with any manufacturer willing to supply them with bikes. In purely competitive terms, a year-old Ducati is a better bet than a factory-spec Japanese machine, hence the Desmosedici's popularity.

However, Aleix Espargaro, whose Aprilia factory gained its satellite team at Yamaha’s expense when the former RNF squad switched brands, feels there should be a limit on the number of bikes each manufacturer can provide.

“[A] maximum of bikes. 100%,” he said. “It's not difficult to see. They [Ducati] have a lot of advantages.

“It's amazing what Ducati did in this championship, but it's a lot easier when you have almost half of the grid.

“So for sure we have to control this, and in the near future. I think the best thing will be to have four bikes per factory, no more.”

But with only five manufacturers remaining in the premier class, after Suzuki’s exit, such a rule would mean grid numbers dropping from 22 to 20.

Ducati currently has eight bikes on the grid. KTM, Honda and Aprilia have four each, with two for Yamaha.