After last year’s title success, an extension of the Quartararo-Yamaha partnership for a fifth season and beyond s꧙eemed a formality.

But doubts began to creep in when🅺 pre-season testing exposed a lack of technical upgrades&nb♏sp;for the M1, despite the end of a two-year freeze on engine design.

Most notably, Ya𒅌maha failed to address the M1’s top speed deficit, the one area where Quartararo had 𝔉been pleading for progress.

Alt🔯hough head-and-shoulders clear of the other Yamaha riders in the opening flyaway rounds, Quartararo returned to Europe with only a wet podium at Mandalika to show for his efforts and noꦫt a single top-six finish in the dry.

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While Yamaha’s 💧weak early form might have helped the cause of rival manufacturers seekಞing to tempt the young Frenchman, in reality there was no stand-out factory from the opening rounds.

Ducati won two of the four races with Enea Bastianini, but using last year’s bike. KTM won in the💯 wet at Mandalika, then Aleix Espargaro made history for Aprilia in Argentina. Honda’s new machine claimed one podium, with two rostrums for Suzuki. Quartararo was among ten riders to featur🌸e on the podium.

Then came Quartararo’s dominant victory in Portimao, his and Yamaha’s first win since Silverstone last season, also propelling the #꧒20 into the title lead.

“We were very open and honest with him. We apologised to him for t🧔he difficulties we caused him this year and which🍷 are still there.

“We have explain⛦ed what our plan is for the future… I feel Fabio understands that we will come back with the strongest possible package and with an investment that will make all the difference next year.”

Yamaha ‘confident’ of ‘good news in June’

Such optimistic words suggest that, wꦏhile no deal has yet been officially signed, the two parties are essentially in agreement on all the main areas of the new contract.

“I think we will come to an agreement with Fabio, also on 🎀the financial aspect. I believe tha𒊎t. I'm confident about that now,” Jarvis said.

“I 🍷expect the collaboration with Fabioౠ Quartararo to continue for the next two years.

“At the same tim🍒e, I would like to emphasise that ⛄we are not yet close to signing a contract. There are still some details to be discussed. But I am confident that we can go public with good news in June.”

Fabio Quartararo: ‘I haven’t signed anything’

After qualifying second fastest at Jerez, potentially setting up a long-awaited victory duel with Francesco Bagnaia on Sunday, Quartararo maintained his stance of 🍒not commenting in detail on his future.

“My m𝓀anager is of course talking to Yamaha but during the race weekend I prefe🦹r to focus on my things and then back home we always discuss the weekend and our future," he said.

“On Monday I will have more information, but I🌠 can say that I haven’t s⛄igned anything.”

Reigning title runner-up Bagnaia (Ducati) is one of four riders so far confirmed♈ on the 2023 grid. The others are Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda), Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM) and Quartararo’s Monster Yamaha team-mate Franco Morbidelli.

Morbidelli was the next-best Yamaha in qualifying at Jerez, albe🍎it in just 16th place, unde𝔉rlining the factory's current reliance on Quartararo.

Quartararo enjoyed almost instant success after joining MotoGP with the satell𒀰ite SRT Yamaha team in 2019. The Frenchman was then&nꦉbsp;promoted to the official team, in place of Valentino Rossi, for 2021.