(Reuters) – MotoGP reigning champion Fabio Quartararo is in talks with other manufacturers regarding a possible move away from Yamaha at the end of the season, the French rider’s manager, Eric Mahe, said.
Yamaha’s Quartararo became the first Frenchman to win the title last season, ending nine years of Spanish dominance, but things have been far from ideal for him this season.
Quartararo came second in wet conditions in Indonesia but finished ninth in Qatar, where he won last season, and eighth in Argentina.
“(It’s) not a question of offers, we are in talks,” Mahe told MotoGP’s website ahead of this weekend’s Grand Prix of the Americas.
“(There is) no rush, and then I can imagine there is no rush for Yamaha so we are investigating everything and then we’ll see what happens.
“We just need to know where Fabio can achieve the best results possible is where we are at … We are a bit lucky because a few years ago a decision like this would have been taken 18 months in advance so at this stage there is no rush so it’s a good situation.”
Mahe declined to answer which factories they were talking to but Sky Sports reported that Honda was one of those.
When asked if Quartararo was open to what other manufacturers have to say, Mahe said: “Yes, for sure.
“We have great respect for Yamaha but due to certain reasons I cannot say, we have to think about it.”
(Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Robert Birsel)
