RiderTua.com – Previously, Fabio Quartararo had to choose between two paths before deciding to renew his contract with Yamaha. Join a new, already competitive manufacturer as quickly as possible, or take a more profitable long-term path with Yamaha for higher salaries. The M1’s deficit makes it very difficult to return to the winners list before his new contract expires, making him the highest paid driver on the current grid (reportedly 12 million euros or the equivalent of approximately 207 billion rupiah).
Since celebrating the title in 2021, Yamaha’s performance curve under Quartararo’s control has experienced a sharp decline that can only be compared to Honda, another Japanese manufacturer participating in MotoGP (after Suzuki left). In fact, the gold wings team had no choice but to let Marquez leave at the end of last season, as the exhausted Spaniard decided to forfeit the final year of his contract and the unpaid 20 million euros.
Fabio Quartararo ‘s salary is 12 million euros
Marc has decided to join the satellite Ducati team, which is not even equipped with the latest version of the Desmosedici bike on the grid, and embark on a daring journey into the unknown. Marquez chose this path, as he said then and now, to enjoy or measure his competitiveness again.
It’s been a long time since Quartararo enjoyed a ‘modified’ M1, but the bike has many limitations, most notably a lack of traction, top speed and the absence of Yamaha’s historical strengths in handling (cornering speed is missing). While his Yamaha bike was competitive, with three wins and eight podiums he could still smile and his hopes of becoming Yamaha’s golden boy would certainly continue, but that glory period is gradually disappearing and the M1’s performance is currently declining.
He only finished on the podium three times in 2023, with third-place finishes in Austin, India and Indonesia. Quartararo’s current deal was made with the view that his prototype is not competitive and is unlikely to be competitive during his new contract (2025 and 2026).
Despite changes in the organization within Yamaha, marked by, among other things, the appointment of Max Bartolini as new technical director, the operation to rescue Quartararo will take time. Under normal conditions, the difference between the Yamaha and the European prototype is more than 0.8 seconds per lap on most tracks. Given the current situation and the stability of the technical regulations in place until 2027, bridging this gap is not a challenge that can be overcome in two years. However, as long as appropriate action is taken, acceleration may be achieved, especially with the help of concessions.
At the moment it can hardly be concluded that Quartararo has no chance of competing for a second title in the medium term. At this point, he increased the number of all challenges sent to his factory. “Yamaha is a priority because they brought me to MotoGP. I believe in the brand and have given them a chance, but there won’t be a second time,” he said last August.
Apart from the technical guarantees that Bartolini’s team gave him, another person who gave guarantees was Lin Jarvis. This is proven by the salary… The new contract, worth around 12 million euros, is more than double Pecco Bagnaia’s basic salary at Ducati, not including bonuses related to performance in each race. Even if the Italian wins the title for a third year in a row, he will fail to reach the figure, making Quartararo the highest-paid driver on the grid.
