MOTOR RACING: Yamaha to part ways with Quartararo, Rins at end of season

Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins will leave Yamaha at the end of the 2026 MotoGP season, the manufacturer said on Tuesday.

Quartararo joined Yamaha in 2019 and enjoyed the most successful spell of his career, claiming 11 race wins and 32 podium finishes. The 26-year-old Frenchman also secured the MotoGP world championship in 2021.

Rins joined Yamaha in 2024 after recovering from an injury he suffered during a brief stint with Honda.

Yamaha has struggled for competitiveness in recent seasons, with the pair managing only one podium finish between them since the start of 2024. Quartararo recorded that result at last year's Spanish Grand Prix.

The 2026 campaign has been particularly difficult for Yamaha, who sit near the bottom of the standings on 64 points, while both riders are outside the top 10 in the championship.

-Reporting by Rishabh Jaiswal in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford/Reuters