Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) have officially confirmed the signing of Fabio Quartararo on a two-year contract for the 2027 and 2028 MotoGP World Championship seasons, with the French rider set to lead the factory outfit into the new 850cc era.
The 2021 world champion will leave Yamaha at the end of the 2026 campaign, bringing an 11-year partnership with the Iwata manufacturer to a close. Quartararo's move to Honda had been widely anticipated as Yamaha's form declined following the manufacturer's restructuring of its MotoGP programme from 2025 onwards.
HRC announced the deal in a statement on Tuesday, saying: "Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) are pleased to announce the signing of Fabio Quartararo for the 2027 and 2028 MotoGP World Championship seasons."
Quartararo, 27, made his premier-class debut in 2019 after a record-breaking run in the FIM CEV Moto3 International Championship and four competitive seasons in the Moto3 and Moto2 World Championships. He claimed pole position in just his fourth race, finishing his rookie campaign with six poles and seven podiums. The Frenchman took the MotoGP title in 2021 and finished runner-up in 2022. To date, he has accumulated 11 wins, 32 podiums and 21 poles in the premier class.
The 27-year-old will pilot the all-new 850cc Honda RC213V, with his first outing on the machine scheduled for the post-Valencia Grand Prix test — the official kick-off of MotoGP's new technical era. At least 14 of the 22 grid positions for 2027 have already been filled.
Quartararo's factory teammate for 2027 remains undecided. The candidates are David Alonso, who was also confirmed as a Honda signing in a separate announcement, and Diogo Moreira, currently the second-highest Honda rider in the standings with the LCR satellite squad.
Sources
- https://honda.racing/motogp/post/honda-racing-corporation-sign-fabio-quartararo
- https://www.speedweek.com/a/motogp/offiziell-bestaetigt-fabio-quartararo-faehrt-2027-2028-die-motogp-honda/
