Fabio Quartararo eyes strong Sachsenring finish ahead of 2027 Honda switch

Fabio Quartararo fought to seventh place at the Sachsenring MotoGP on 13 July 2026, using the result to fuel his focus for the rest of the season before his shock move to Honda’s factory squad in 2027.

What happened in Germany?

Quartararo started sixth on the grid in qualifying, then held that spot through the opening laps despite a wheelie and a first-corner scrap with championship leader Jorge Martin (Aprilia). A lack of grip at Turn 7 let Martin, Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati) and Pedro Acosta (KTM) pass him, dropping him to ninth. Two Ducati riders-Fabio Di Giannantonio and Alex Márquez-crashed, lifting Quartararo to eighth then seventh, where he stayed to the flag.

He finished 17 seconds behind the winner, 17 seconds clear of ninth. “Seventh is a very good result,” Quartararo said. “My target was ninth because I had the same pace as on Saturday. The crashes helped me finish seventh.”

Why it matters for Fabio Quartararo

The 27-year-old now turns his attention to Silverstone, where he took pole in 2025 before retiring from the lead with a Yamaha technical fault. “This year we don’t have the potential to fight for wins,” he admitted. “But I want to be ready for next year. Switching teams won’t make everything perfect. I’m sure I’ll face difficulties.”

Quartararo’s Sachsenring set-up-tuned after Le Mans-has delivered his best results of 2026. “It’s more about fine-tuning this package than finding something new,” he said. “There’s nothing I can take to Silverstone because this was the Le Mans bike.”

How he’s staying motivated

With the championship on summer break, Quartararo insists every remaining point counts. “It doesn’t matter to me, but I’d rather finish seventh than 15th,” he said. “That’s my way of staying motivated to the end. I’ll push myself to the limit so I can keep learning and developing.”

He added: “Nothing will change for me now, but I want to be ready for the next chapter. The difficulties will come. That’s racing.”

What comes next?

MotoGP resumes at Silverstone from 8 to 10 August. Quartararo’s 2027 Honda switch-announced late last year-will see him join the marquee Japanese manufacturer after six seasons with Yamaha. The Frenchman’s focus remains on extracting every ounce from the current package before the summer shutdown.