MotoGP’s first big move of the 2026 rider market may have already been made, as Fabio Quartararo has reportedly decided his future.

According to Motorsport.com, the French rider has decided to part ways with Yamaha for the 2027 season, which will see the introduction of new 850cc regulations and the end of the 1,000cc era of MotoGP which began in 2012.

Instead of continuing into a ninth season with the Iwata manufacturer and a seventh with the factory team, Quartararo has reportedly decided to switch to Honda for next year.

Nothing is yet official, but the report from Motorsport.com comes on the same day as 2026 testing begins in Sepang with the Shakedown test there. Quartararo is eligible to ride in the Shakedown thanks to Yamaha’s D-tier concessions status, but rookie Toprak Razgatlioglu was the only Yamaha race rider to participate in the first day of the Shakedown.

A move to Honda would mean one of Joan Mir and Luca Marini would depart the factory team there. Mir’s results have been better than Marini’s, but the Italian’s technical input is deemed valuable and he has been more consistent than his world champion teammate.

For Yamaha, the loss of Quartararo would be its most major rider departure arguably since Jorge Lorenzo left for Ducati at the end of 2016. On the other hand, it could prove the ignition of a return to competitiveness for Yamaha comparable to that which Honda experienced in 2025 after it lost Marc Marquez at the end of 2023.

It would also open a spot in Yamaha’s factory MotoGP team, potentially for Toprak Razgatlioglu to slot into should he perform well in 2026. Alternatively, Yamaha could seek an external star to join its ranks, such as Jorge Martin or Joan Mir, both of whom are out of contract at the end of 2026 with their respective manufacturers.