Yamaha Bids Farewell To Quartararo And Rins After 2026 Season
MotoGP world champion Fabio Quartararo and Spanish rider Alex Rins will leave Yamaha's factory team at the end of the 2026 season, concluding their contributions to the Japanese manufacturer's racing program.
Yamaha Motor Racing has officially announced that Fabio Quartararo, the 2021 MotoGP World Champion from France, and Spanish rider Alex Rins will depart the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team at the end of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship season, marking the conclusion of their journey together with Yamaha following their continuous contributions to the team's achievements and development.
Quartararo joined Yamaha's factory team in 2019 and quickly established himself as one of the era's most prominent riders, securing 11 Grand Prix victories, 32 podium finishes, and making history by winning the premier class world title in 2021—delivering a significant championship success back to Yamaha and becoming one of the team's most accomplished riders in the modern era.
Rins joined the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team in 2024, bringing extensive experience as a multi-race Grand Prix winner. Throughout his time with Yamaha, he has played a vital role in sharing expertise, developing the YZR-M1 motorcycle, and advancing Yamaha's MotoGP project.
Paolo Pavesio, Yamaha Motor Racing General Manager, stated: "Fabio and Alex have been instrumental to Yamaha's MotoGP project. We are grateful for their dedication, commitment, and professionalism throughout the years they have been with us."
"Fabio and Yamaha have journeyed together for eight years, sharing both moments of tremendous success and challenging times. We have grown together as both a team and a family. Beyond their on-track achievements, the relationships formed along this path are invaluable, and Fabio will forever remain one of the legendary riders in the Yamaha family."
"As for Alex, since joining the team in 2024, he has brought invaluable experience, technical insight, and dedication to our squad, playing a crucial role in developing the YZR-M1 and helping drive Yamaha's MotoGP project forward."
"Although saying goodbye after years of working together is not easy, we remain fully committed to working together on every remaining race of the season to close this chapter with our best performance and create more outstanding memories together."
Yamaha Motor Racing and both riders will continue to give their maximum effort throughout the remaining races of the 2026 MotoGP season, aiming to deliver outstanding results while continuing YZR-M1 development to bring their partnership to a perfect conclusion before season's end.
