Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo has pulled out of the Sepang MotoGP test after crashing on the opening day of running.

Day one at the official test was Quartararo’s third on-track at Sepang this year after riding the second and third days during the MotoGP Shakedown test last week.

However, the official test’s opening day saw Quartararo go down at turn five. He returned to the track a while later and finished the day ninth-fastest, but after the close of play on Tuesday he confirmed he will not ride on Wednesday or Thursday.

“The arm is a bit sore but the finger is broken, so we decide to stop for the next two days of test,” Quartararo told MotoGP.com after the first day of the Sepang test.

“I think it’s the best. If it was a race weekend I could [continue], but there’s no sense to make two more days. 

“So, bit sad because I want to [continue], but also for the first race I think it’s better, especially the arm there is nothing strange but especially for my finger it’s better.”

Explaining the crash, Quartararo added: “I lose it pretty straight. Don’t really know what happened, but it was a fast one and I finished a bit far into the gravel. 

“So, unfortunately not lucky today but I think it can be much worse after this crash.”

Quartararo will now aim to be back on-track for the Buriram test, the last one of the 2026 preseason, on 21–22 February. There are many things for Yamaha to improve by then, he thinks.

“We have to work super-hard because we are still very far and I know that the team is doing it, so I’m crossing my fingers for Thailand,” Quartararo said.

He added: “Of course the team knows what my comments are, of course the main topic is the top speed, with the turning – the bike is not turning at all. 

“But I mean it’s quite normal, it’s the beginning of the project but I think that where we have more margin is in the top speed and the turning of the bike.”

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team Director Massimo Meregalli spoke to MotoGP.com during the final minutes of Tuesday’s running in Sepang to give an update on Quartararo before the Frenchman confirmed his absence from the second and third days of the test.

Meregalli said that Yamaha didn’t put pressure on Quartararo to continue testing in the next two days, and that he has pain throughout his body.

“He [Quartararo] has pain more or less everywhere in his body,” Meregalli said.

“We just told him ‘Please, do not take any risk’.

“Luckily, last week we could do some work already, even if the plan couldn’t be finished, but at least we were in advance. 

“We don’t want absolutely to take any risk that we can avoid, because in a couple of weeks we will be in Thailand for the last test but also for the start of the championship.”

Meregalli added: “He has [pain in] the left arm and also one finger on the right. That corner [turn five] is a third-gear corner, the speed might be around 160–170kph, and honestly I expect that tomorrow he will be even more sore than now.”

Finally, Meregalli said that Augusto Fernandez’s plan could be shifted in order to make up for Quartararo’s absence.

“For sure we will move Augusto [Fernandez] maybe in [Fabio’s] side of the garage and we will try to complete other materials that we have to test,” he said.

“Luckily we also have five riders that for sure by the end of the test we will gather a lot of information.”

As well as Fernandez, Yamaha has Andrea Dovizioso riding in Malaysia for its test team.