Yamaha MotoGP Rider Exits
Yamaha Confirms Quartararo and Rins Departures After 2026 MotoGP Season, Eyes 2027 Roster Shake-Up
Key Points
Alex Rins contributed valuable development work to the Yamaha project, providing essential feedback and technical insight that helped push the YZR-M1 forward during a challenging period beyond on-track results.
Quartararo's time with Yamaha included 21 pole positions in addition to his 11 race wins and 32 podiums, underscoring the breadth of his impact beyond race results.
The Yamaha announcements came as part of a broader context of a resolved but previously protracted contract impasse between Liberty Media and MotoGP teams, which had slowed 2027 line-up deals.
Yamaha had not won a Grand Prix since the Sachsenring event in 2022, highlighting the scale of the manufacturer's recent struggles prior to the 2026 departures.
Paolo Pavesio stressed that the relationship with Quartararo and Rins encompassed both great successes and difficult moments, and said Fabio will always remain one of Yamaha MotoGP's legends.
Yamaha has confirmed that Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins will leave the factory MotoGP team at the end of 2026, closing the door on an era that brought one world championship but ended in a painful winless drought. Yamaha Racing made the announcement on June 30, 2026, confirming months of speculation.
Quartararo, the 2021 world champion, is set to join Honda on a two-year deal from 2027. Yamaha will replace both riders with Jorge Martin and Ai Ogura, a major bet on the team's future heading into MotoGP's 850cc era.
Eight Years, One Title, and a Four-Year Drought
Quartararo joined Yamaha in 2019 and quickly became one of the sport's biggest stars. He won 11 races, stood on the podium 32 times, and claimed 21 pole positions before taking the world title in 2021, according to MotoGP Official. Yamaha's managing director Paolo Pavesio said Quartararo "will always remain one of the true legends of Yamaha MotoGP."
But the glory faded fast. Yamaha has not won a Grand Prix since June 19, 2022 — a drought of more than 1,400 days — according to Visordown. By mid-2026, Quartararo sat 15th in the riders' standings and Rins 17th. The team ranked 4th in the constructors' championship with just 64 points.
Quartararo's Frustration Drove His Honda Decision
Reports of Quartararo's exit first surfaced in January 2026, when Motorsport.com revealed an "exclusive" deal with Honda HRC. The French rider had grown openly frustrated with the YZR-M1's slow development. Paddock observers noted incidents of him "punching the air" and "swearing at the bike," according to Crash.net.
Quartararo himself struck a reflective tone in his farewell statement. "After eight seasons, the time has come for me to close an important chapter," he wrote on Instagram. "Yamaha is not just a team for me; it is part of my story, my growth as a rider and as a person." Honda's gamble on him is seen as a high-stakes move, with both manufacturers rebuilding ahead of the 2027 rule reset, according to GPblog.
Rins Faces an Uncertain Future Without a Ride
Alex Rins joined Yamaha in 2024 to help develop the bike after recovering from a serious leg injury. He never won a race or a podium with the team. Crash.net reported that Rins received word his contract would not be renewed as far back as April 2026. He is now likely the "odd man out" on the 2027 grid.
Despite the lack of results, insiders credit Rins with important work behind the scenes. The Race noted his "valuable development work" on the YZR-M1's electronics and chassis stability, calling it essential groundwork for the riders who follow him. A move to World Superbike or a test rider role appears the most likely next step.
Martin and Ogura Headline Yamaha's 2027 Rebuild
The rider market was frozen for much of early 2026 due to a contract dispute between Liberty Media and the five MotoGP manufacturers. That impasse ended on June 19, 2026, when all parties signed the 2027–2031 Framework Agreement, according to Visordown. That deal cleared the way for the wave of rider announcements that followed.
Yamaha's new lineup is built around Jorge Martin, the current championship leader who became available after Aprilia signed Francesco Bagnaia on a four-year deal on June 25, according to The Race. He will be joined by Ai Ogura, the 2024 Moto2 champion. Yamaha is also developing a new V4 engine to replace its traditional inline-4, signaling that the manufacturer is investing heavily — not retreating — heading into MotoGP's next chapter.
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