Fabio Quartararo has dismissed the pressure of his ongoing win drought ahead of his home race at Le Mans. The 2021 World Champion, who has already signed a blockbuster move to Honda for 2027, stated he has "nothing to prove" to critics. Instead, the Frenchman is focused on his own recovery and finding personal satisfaction within Yamaha’s challenging V4 development project.

Thursday’s North West 200 Superbike qualifying session was hit with major delays after a red flag incident on the course, with an initial 45 minute stoppage followed by an additional hour delay and then a further 90 minute extension announced at 12:15 BST. Dean Harrison on the Honda was leading the session from Glenn Irwin’s Ducati when the stoppage occurred. Roads are due to reopen by 15:00 BST ahead of three evening races.

Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta dismissed any notion of a crisis in MotoGP’s commercial negotiations, saying he does not like people who do not negotiate contracts because it shows a lack of intent to fulfil them. He insisted there are no deadlines, adding that by March next year all manufacturers will have their bikes and riders ready regardless. Ezpeleta remains frustrated that manufacturers are demanding a revenue share model that contradicts the fixed payment system he sold to Liberty Media.

Fermin Aldeguer has admitted he now understands why Francesco Bagnaia struggled so much during his final season at Ducati. After switching to the "problematic" GP25-spec machine, the Gresini rookie highlighted severe issues with front-end feel and braking stability. Aldeguer noted that the bike’s inconsistent feedback mirrors the technical hurdles that saw Bagnaia lose confidence before his 2027 move to Aprilia.

MotoGP experts are split on whether Marc Marquez can win the French Grand Prix at Le Mans, with most tipping Jorge Martin or Marco Bezzecchi as the most likely winners. Marquez himself admitted there are many unknowns heading to Le Mans, including the ever-present threat of weather surprises. Seven different MotoGP winners have taken victory at Le Mans since 2019 , and rain could once again change everything on Sunday.

Brad Binder said new KTM upgrades at the Jerez test have improved the bike’s cornering behaviour in the middle and second half of corners, where they have been losing time all season. He also tested a new WP Suspension rear shock that was a step forward in every way, helping both corner exit and rear wheel stability on entry. Binder acknowledged the changes do not make him faster yet but said the bike feels better.

Nicolo Bulega completed 20 laps at Mugello on Monday on his 850cc Ducati MotoGP debut, setting a best time of 1:47.2 in the afternoon session. He ended the day quickest, 0.4 seconds clear of factory test rider Michele Pirro and 1.3 seconds ahead of KTM’s Dani Pedrosa. The lap sits three seconds slower than Marc Marquez’s Mugello pole time on the current 1000cc machine, broadly in line with FIM predictions for the new 850cc era.

Tensions between Carmelo Ezpeleta and MotoGP manufacturers have reached a breaking point ahead of Le Mans. Teams, led by Aprilia’s Massimo Rivola and negotiator Lin Jarvis, are demanding an F1-style 50% profit-sharing model for the 2027–2031 cycle. Ezpeleta is reportedly "annoyed" by these aggressive tactics, including a recent high-profile dinner boycott in Jerez that snubbed Liberty Media executives. 

Fabio Quartararo teased “something special” for his home French Grand Prix at Le Mans this weekend in an official Yamaha preview, saying he is curious to see how the Jerez test improvements translate to the French circuit. The something special refers to a special one-off livery for his M1, a tradition Quartararo has kept at Le Mans in recent years. A new Yamaha engine is not expected until after the French Grand Prix.