Former MotoGP champion Quartararo to make Honda switch

Former MotoGP world champion Fabio Quartararo will join Honda on a two-year deal next season, the team announced on Tuesday, as the Frenchman bids to reignite his career. 

The 27-year-old is set to leave Yamaha after eight seasons.

He won the MotoGP title in 2021 and finished runner-up the following year but has since struggled to maintain that level.

"Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) are pleased to announce the signing of Fabio Quartararo for the 2027 and 2028 MotoGP World Championship seasons," the team said in a statement.

"Quartararo will race for the factory Honda HRC team as the 850cc era of MotoGP begins from 2027."

His move to Honda had appeared increasingly certain for weeks after other teams confirmed their rider line-ups for next season.

The Japanese manufacturer, which has been rebuilding since the departure of Marc Marquez to Ducati in 2024, is banking on the Frenchman to help revive its fortunes.

The 2027 season will usher in new technical regulations, reducing engine capacity from 1,000cc to 850cc, a change that could reshuffle the competitive order and potentially end the dominance enjoyed in recent years by Ducati and now Aprilia.

Quartararo's first season in MotoGP was in 2019 and he quickly established himself at the highest level, two years later becoming the first French rider to win the premier-class world championship.

But his fortunes have declined dramatically in recent seasons.

He has not won a race since 2022, finishing 10th, 13th and ninth over the past three years. He is 14th at the halfway stage of this season.

Honda also said on Tuesday it had signed Colombian rider David Alonso to a multi-year contract but did not reveal whether he would partner Quartararo in the factory team or race for the satellite LCR outfit.

Alonso, 20, won the Moto3 crown in 2024.

Brazil's Diogo Moreira, who has enjoyed a promising rookie MotoGP campaign with LCR, could instead be promoted to the factory team next season.