Fabio Quartararo He could have opted for an immediately competitive motorcycle. Instead, he chose to bet on a promising future. By selecting Honda for 2027, the 2021 MotoGP world champion claims to have followed his sporting convictions rather than financial offers. This explanation contradicts initial speculation about his salary demands and sheds light on a particularly risky transfer on the cusp of a regulatory revolution.
Quartararo: We spent from November to January making a decision »
In an interview with Mela Chércoles for Diario AS, Quartararo reflects on the negotiations that preceded his signing. " We had quite a few offers, but in the end, we were left with two on the table ."
The Frenchman emphasizes the length of his deliberations. " We spent from November to January really trying to make a decision, and we weighed the pros and cons ." Three months of reflection to choose not the best current motorcycle, but the one likely to dominate tomorrow.
Because the planned regulation changes in 2027 make comparisons with this season's performance particularly difficult, Quartararo wasn't just looking for a way out after his struggles at Yamaha . He wanted to identify the manufacturer best prepared for this new era.
Aprilia sidelined: the questionable choice
Two proposals were still on the table when it came time to decide. When asked about the identity of the rival manufacturer, Quartararo deliberately kept it a mystery. " I'll let you imagine it. I prefer not to say, but you already know who it is ."
Everything suggests it was Aprilia , even if the Frenchman doesn't explicitly confirm it. A surprising choice considering the RS-GP's performance in 2026. Why reject an Aprilia capable of competing with Ducati to join a Honda still rebuilding?
The answer likely lies in the outlook for 2027. Engines will increase to 850cc, Pirelli will replace Michelin , and ride-by-wire systems will disappear. All these changes could significantly reshuffle the deck. The best motorcycle of 2026 won't necessarily be the best of 2027.
Quartararo: Honda is the project I believed in the most. »
Quartararo leaves little doubt about his main motivation. " We chose Honda because it's the project I believed in the most, and because I've seen things I liked since December ."
The Frenchman claims to have been convinced by technical details discovered several months before his signing. The engine seems to play a significant role in his reasoning. " The engine will be very important, and I think Honda has a good engine. "
The first tests of the 2027 prototype have fueled this optimism. Diogo Moreira reportedly set a benchmark time at the Red Bull Ring, with a lead of approximately half a second.
An encouraging result, but insufficient to establish a hierarchy: test conditions, tires and development programs can considerably alter the differences.
Honda is showing promising signs. It has not yet demonstrated that it will have a winning motorcycle.
Money doesn't explain everything, but the risk remains immense.
Initial reports suggested salary disagreements with Aprilia and particularly attractive financial offers from the Japanese manufacturers. Quartararo presents a different interpretation.
His choice would be primarily based on sporting merit. This doesn't mean that financial considerations have disappeared from the negotiations. It simply means that nothing in his statements suggests they were the deciding factor.
For Honda , recruiting a world champion represents an opportunity to rediscover a technical and sporting benchmark. For Quartararo , it's the hope of finding a machine capable of consistently challenging for victory.
But after several frustrating MotoGP seasons with Yamaha , the Frenchman knows that a project that looks good on paper can prove much less convincing when faced with the stopwatch.
So, what do we remember?
- Quartararo claims to have favoured the Honda project, after several months of deliberation.
- Aprilia appears as the rejected competing offer, without explicit confirmation.
- The technological revolution of 2027 constitutes the main sporting justification for his bet.
Quartararo didn't simply switch manufacturers. He chose to believe in a Honda that doesn't yet exist in competition. And that's the crucial difference between signing up for a high-performing bike and betting on one that could become one. If Honda succeeds in its revolution, Quartararo will have been right before everyone else. Otherwise, he will have left one rebuilding phase only to join another.
