Fabio Quartararo will sit out the remainder of MotoGP’s Sepang pre-season test after breaking a finger in a crash on Tuesday.

Just an hour into the start of collective testing in Malaysia, Quartararo went down at Turn 5 on his V4-powered Yamaha M1 and had to be taken to the medical centre for checks.

Although he was initially released with only arm soreness and even returned to the track in the afternoon, the Frenchman later revealed he had fractured the middle finger on his right hand.

The 26-year-old will skip the final two days of the Sepang test to return home and begin his recovery.

“The arm is a bit sore, but the finger is broken, so we decided to stop the next two days of tests. I think it's the best,” he said during the official MotoGP feed. “Of course, if it was a race weekend, I could follow, but there is no sense to make two more days.”

Speaking to media including Motorsport.com, he added: “This one is pretty broken, so we'll do a check-up tomorrow or the day after tomorrow in Barcelona.

“I lost the front pretty early, so pretty fast. The impact was big, but then it was the amount of laps I did in the gravel. I was beaten. I didn't get knocked out, but luckily it's just a few things.”

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

It remains unclear whether Quartararo will require surgery or how long he will be sidelined, but the injury will inevitably disrupt his preparations for the new season.

However, he had already logged important mileage on the new-for-2026 M1 during last week’s Sepang shakedown. Yamaha’s Group D concession status allowed its race riders additional track time compared to its rivals.

“We already tested everything that we had to test. Of course, two days more would have been great for electronics and mapping, but I think we did more than enough. So I prefer to recover and be ready for the real [thing],” he said.

Despite breaking his finger on Tuesday morning, Quartararo managed to complete 14 laps at Sepang in the afternoon session, setting a best time of 1m57.869s to end up ninth. He was the fastest Yamaha rider in the field, five spots ahead of Jack Miller on the Pramac Yamaha.

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Fabio Quartararo admitted that Honda is one of the teams he is talking to about a 2027 MotoGP seat, but insists he is yet to sign a deal.

MotoGP’s silly season went into overdrive last week when Motorsport.com reported that 2021 champion Quartararo has agreed terms to join Honda for the start of MotoGP’s 850cc engine era.

Such a move, if finalised, would reshape the rider market, with current Aprilia rider Jorge Martinemerging as a leading candidate to replace the Frenchman at Yamaha.

Speaking at Sepang on Monday ahead of the first full pre-season test of the year, Quartararo offered an indication of where he could race next year, but stressed that no final decision has been made.

“The only thing I can confirm to you today is that we are talking with teams. Honda is one of them, but we have nothing signed yet,” he said.

Asked whether he was also in discussions with Yamaha about a new contract, he added: "Of course, I'm not going to tell you everything, but we are talking to many teams. 

“We will consider, [but] not very soon. I will take the time I need to make the decision for 2027. But nothing is done and signed yet.”

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

MotoGP’s technical regulations are set for a major overhaul in 2027 with the introduction of smaller-capacity 850cc engines, reduction in aerodynamics and a ban on rider-height device systems.

The scale of these changes could disrupt the current pecking order in MotoGP and potentially allow Yamaha to become competitive again in MotoGP after years of decline.

With so much uncertainty about which bike will be the strongest come 2027, Quartararo said each rider on the grid will essentially be making a leap into the unknown.

“It's a gamble. It's a gamble for me, and it's a gamble for everybody,” he said. “Of course, when you have [been] with a team for a long time, you are on top [of things]. Of course, you want to remain with the team.

“But you have to listen to everybody, try to see how their project is. Of course, everybody is going to sell you the project as best as they can. But I think that this must be a personal decision, where I feel I have to stay or to go.

“It's not a gamble, but let's say it's going to be a bet for every rider.”

Quartararo’s previous contract renewal with Yamaha in April 2024 made him one of the highest-paid riders on the grid, if not the highest outright.

In terms of global scale and revenue, Honda and Yamaha are the largest manufacturers in MotoGP, comfortably dwarfing European rivals Ducati, Aprilia and KTM. Their financial muscle puts them in a much stronger position to attract leading riders with lucrative salaries.

However, Quartararo stressed that money won’t be the deciding factor in his contract negotiations, pointing to the emotions he showed after he was denied a likely victory at last year’s British Grand Prix due to a technical problem.

“I want to win. You can see the emotion I had in Silverstone. It's not about money. It's about the happiness to be on top of the podium,” he said.

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