The MotoGP champion is one of several riders thought to be on the move for 2027.
On the same day that Honda unveiled its RC213V ahead of pre-season testing at Sepang, Quartararo spoke for the first time on the rumours.
“The only thing that I can confirm today is that we are talking to teams, and Honda is one of them, but I have nothing signed yet,” saidQuartararo
“I am not going to tell you everything, but of course we are talking to many teams and we will consider not soon or very soon, because I will take the time I need to make the decision for 2027, but nothing is done and signed yet.”
Quartararo was not the only interested party keen to flat-bat rumours.
Albert Valera, who manages Aprilia’s Jorge Martin and KTM’s Pedro Acosta, was keen to distance his riders from reports of impending moves.
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Martin has been linked to Yamaha in Quartararo’s place, while Acosta is reportedly set to sign with Ducati where he would replace the under-performing Francesco Bagnaia.
The rumours cast a shadow over Honda’s launch, with its riders Joan Mir and Luca Marini facing questions about their future with the Japanese team.
Marini said it was no surprise that rumours had begun to surface as riders look to position themselves for the advent of new regulations.
“I think everyone is speaking a lot on the media side, but also on the rider side,” said Marini.
“Every rider wants to be in the perfect position in 2027, and it’s not easy to understand which one will be the perfect one because everything is going to change [with new regulations].
“But I am constantly talking with Honda. We have a fantastic relationship, and I think still everyone has a lot of time with these things. The 2026 season hasn’t even started yet.
“There’s been a lot of speculation so far, but I think this is because everyone was bored at home and wanted to start the fire a little bit.
“Now that we will have some technical topics after the test, this will go away.”
MotoGP will host its first official test on Tuesday at Sepang.
Every full-time rider will be in action, except for Jorge Martin and Fermin Aldeguer.
Martin is set to undergo further surgery on injuries he suffered in 2025 while Gresini rider Aldeguer recovers from a broken leg. Lorenzo Savadori will replace Martin.
Additionally, Andrea Dovizioso and Augusto Fernandez will test with Yamaha.
There is no live broadcast coverage of the Sepang test.
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