Fabio Quartararo Withdraws from Sepang Test Following High-Speed Crash

Yamaha MotoGP rider Fabio Quartararo will miss the final two days of the 2026 Sepang test after a high-speed crash during Tuesday’s session.

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The 2021 world champion crashed at Turn 5 during the morning session. He visited the medical centre for checks but returned to the track later in the day. Quartararo finished ninth on Yamaha’s new V4 machine, though he suffered a broken finger in the crash.

Earlier, Yamaha team principal Massimo Meregalli had hinted that Quartararo might sit out the rest of the test. The rider has now confirmed he will stop testing to recover before the Buriram test on February 21-22.

“The arm is a bit sore, but the finger is broken,” Quartararo told the official MotoGP website. “We decided to stop for the next two days. It’s for the best. If it were a race weekend, I could continue, but there’s no point in riding for two more days. It’s a bit sad because I want to ride, but it’s better for the first race.”

Explaining the crash, Quartararo said: “I lost it going straight and don’t really know what happened. It was fast, and I ended up deep in the gravel. It wasn’t my day, but it could have been worse.”

Thanks to Yamaha’s concession ranking, Quartararo had already completed two full days of running at Sepang. On the new bike, he admitted there is still work to do.

“The Yamaha V4 is still very far from where it needs to be,” he said. “We tested a lot of things. Over one lap, we know what we’re missing. The pace needs work. The team is working hard, so I’m hoping for better results in Thailand.”