FILE PHOTO: Motorcycling - MotoGP - Valencia Grand Prix - Circuit Recardo Tormo, Valencia, Spain - November 26, 2023 Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP's Fabio Quartararo during the race REUTERS/Pablo Morano/File Photo
(Reuters) - Fabio Quartararo will remain on the Yamaha factory bike until 2026 after the former MotoGP champion signed a two-year contract extension, the Japanese manufacturer announced on Friday.
Quartararo won the MotoGP title with Yamaha in 2021 after making the step up to the factory team that year when he replaced Valentino Rossi but the 24-year-old has since struggled as Ducati dominated the premier class with a superior bike.
In 2022, Frenchman Quartararo threw away a 91-point lead in the championship to concede the title to Ducati's Francesco Bagnaia. Last year the Yamaha rider managed only three podiums, finishing a lowly 10th in the championship standings.
There was speculation that Quartararo would look for a switch with his contract set to expire at the end of the 2024 season as he made his frustration with the bike public several times, but he has now extended his stay with Yamaha.
"I am super happy to announce that I am going to continue my adventure in blue," Quartararo said.
"Last winter Yamaha proved to me that they have a new approach and a new aggressive mindset. My confidence is high: we will be back at the front together."
Yamaha's Managing Director Lin Jarvis said keeping Quartararo was integral to their MotoGP project as they look to return to winning ways.
"We are the first to admit that there is much work to do to get back to the competitive level we were at in 2021 and the first half of 2022. But with Fabio you know he will always put in 100% of his best effort," he said.
"We have already made significant changes to our organisation including a new internal management system, recruitment of top expertise within the industry, new external technical partnerships, increased development budget and an intensified testing programme."
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
