Honda pairs Quartararo with Pupulin for 2027 MotoGP era
Honda has selected Christian Pupulin to serve as crew chief for Fabio Quartararo when the Frenchman joins the factory team for the 2027 season, which marks the introduction of the new 850cc regulations. The 2021 world champion will arrive after eight seasons with Yamaha, and HRC is laying extensive groundwork to smooth his transition into the paddock’s largest manufacturer.
Pupulin brings deep experience from stints at Ducati, where he worked with Nicky Hayden, Andrea Dovizioso and Jack Miller, before following Miller to KTM in 2023 and then moving to Honda last year to replace Giacomo Guidotti alongside Luca Marini. Known throughout the paddock as “Pipi”, the Italian became the natural choice to oversee Quartararo’s integration, especially with Marini in talks to join Tech3.
Quartararo will also be reunited with Ignacio “Nacho” Madurga, the Yamaha tyre specialist with whom he built a strong relationship. Madurga will follow the rider to Honda, reinforcing the support structure around a rider expected to become the team’s benchmark in both status and achievement.
Meanwhile, Diogo Moreira remains the leading candidate for the second factory seat, though HRC has not finalized that decision. The reigning Moto2 champion will work with Andres Madrid, who joins from KTM to replace Klaus Nohles. David Alonso, stepping up to MotoGP next season, will be paired with Santi Hernandez, currently crew chief for Joan Mir.