After securing Fabio Quartararo’s stay until 2026, Monster Energy Yamaha now has a seat to define for the upcoming season. Currently, that seat belongs to Álex Rins, whose contract expires at the end of the year.
According to Crash.net, Yamaha has two top targets in mind. One of them is Jorge Martín, who is currently with Pramac Racing. The Spaniard aims to be in a factory team in 2025, whether it’s with Ducati or not, but despite his strong performances and being the runner-up in 2023, he didn’t secure a spot this year.
If Martín moves up to Ducati, Enea Bastianini would lose his current seat. Also nearing the end of his contract, the Italian is another highly rated option for Yamaha. The aforementioned website reports that the manufacturer and Ducati may have met on the sidelines of the Portuguese GP.
On the other hand, there’s the issue of the satellite team. Yamaha aims to have a partner team again, which it hasn’t had since 2022. And here, it could have two options. One is Valentino Rossi’s VR46 team, with Rossi himself being a brand ambassador, currently at the end of the contract with Ducati.
However, director Uccio Salucci stated just before the start of the season that the goal is to continue with the Borgo Panigale manufacturer – which currently has the most competitive bike. Pramac Racing would be the other possible option for Yamaha, as it has also not renewed with Ducati. It might be attracted by financial terms, but considering nearly two decades of partnership, being the most favored of satellite teams, and the competitiveness of the bike, the conditions for a switch do not seem to exist.