Fabio Quartararo will have a decisive year in MotoGP in 2024, especially when it comes to the decision about continuing with Yamaha… or not. Looking to return to the top positions in the championship, and to the performances that earned him the world title in 2021, there are many expectations surrounding the French rider, but even more so surrounding Yamaha.
This upcoming season will be truly crucial for the French rider, who continues to hope for true improvements in the Yamaha M1: if before he asked for more power, the Japanese manufacturer was able to deliver that, but on the other hand, there is still a lack of grip on various occasions, which complicates Quartararo’s task of keeping up with the other competitors.
In 2023, Quartararo had a fifth place as his best result, even though he was champion in 2021, and in 2022 he was leading the championship with a significant advantage over Pecco Bagnaia, but 2023 was a true disaster, with #20 finishing in 10th place.
Three third places on Sundays, and a third place in the Sprint races, and looking at the average speeds in various GPs, Quartararo is constantly in the middle of the table or in the last third, which confirms this weakness of his bike, which even gives more value to what the rider himself does, but moral victories are something that the former world champion does not want.
After there have been some rumors about a possible “ultimatum” from Quartararo to Yamaha, where the absence of a truly competitive bike will make him consider moving to other places, the Japanese manufacturer is working hard to provide its riders with a more capable equipment, something that Cal Crutchlow – test rider – has been working on.
The tests in Valencia did not convince Quartararo 100%, with the rider stating that the bike was still ‘far away’ from the competition, and even revealing that he ‘expected more’, without forgetting that there were ‘some improvements’.
Let’s remember the words of the Frenchman after the tests in Valencia: ‘Of course, I also expected more from… it wasn’t really a high expectation for this test. But you always try to aim high and, of course, for me, it was an improvement. But the reality is that we are still as far away as before. But it is true that I, as a rider, want to race and fight for victories. And if I have to do extra tests to have a good performance, I don’t mind doing it. But we have to work hard and with a real idea of what we need to come back’.
Although he mentioned positive points, it remains to be seen what bike Yamaha will present in 2024, and if it has the ingredients to spice up both Quartararo’s current appetite and enough to make him consider renewing for 2025 and beyond.
