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Fabio Quartararo signs two-year deal with Yamaha after being promised improved engine power

Fabio Quartararo's future at Yamaha has been confirmed this week, with the 23-year-old rider signing an extension with the team after being pledged an improved engine for 2023.

Fabio Quartararo is perhaps the hottest property in MotoGP at the moment, and the talented Frenchman has been snapped up by Yamaha for a further two years.

The reigning champion claimed five wins and 10 podiums en route to winning the championship last year, and there was plenty of interest from other teams looking to poach him.

Quartararo wanted an improvement to Yamaha's top speed for 2022, but the team opted for a different philosophy - one that didn't seem to initially pay off.

However, after picking up his first win of the season around Portugal's Portimao circuit in round five, Quartararo has shot up to the top of the 2022 standings due to some superb consistency that has rewarded him with four podium finishes.

But still not entirely happy with his bike, Yamaha have promised to fulfil Quartararo's wishes of improved engine power next season.

After signing a contract extension with the team earlier this week, the 23-year-old admitted that the team's pledge was the driving force behind his decision to sign.

"It was not an easy decision. And we took a little bit more time to evaluate all the project," Quartararo said of his new two-year deal.
"As you can imagine, we were not talking only to Yamaha. At one stage, my head was going to one side, then one week later I wanted to go and it was a little bit difficult.
"Basically, my first goal is to have the best bike and best project. And they convinced me because they will bring new people, engineers, and they know exactly where they need to improve.
"In the past, maybe they were working on a few areas, but they didn't really accept that the bike was more slow than the others. And now they know and they will clearly work on this weak point."

To emphasise Quartararo's point, his Yamaha bike has often been 10-12km/h slower on the straights compared to his rivals' machinery.

"To be fair, I feel super good on the bike. Of course every rider always wants more. But the only thing that we're missing compared to the others, is the speed," he added.
"So that's what made me really take the decision to stay in Yamaha; I know that they're pushing to bring more power and I feel good on the bike."
Next up for Quartararo and his Yamaha team is the upcoming Grand Prix in Barcelona, with qualifying taking place this Saturday before the race starts on Sunday, 13:00 BST.

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