When can Yamaha fight at the top of MotoGP again? Technical Director Max Bartolini gives an honest assessment and Alex Rins also speaks out
This year, Yamaha secured the services of one of the most experienced technicians in the MotoGP environment in Massimo “Max” Bartolini. The Italian, who left Ducati, brought a breath of fresh air and a new way of working to the team, which has been working tirelessly to regain its old form since his arrival
Asked about his first six months at Yamaha, Bartolini told MotoGP.com: “Obviously we have a lot of work to do, but I was surprised how everyone is working to close the gap.”
“We are aware that it will be a hard and long road. But I’m satisfied with my first six months here. What I have found more or less corresponds to the picture I was able to form from the outside.”
“As I said, it’s a long road. I don’t think we’re doing anything fundamentally wrong. We just need to improve our overall package and that usually takes a bit more time than finding a problem or a fault. It will take years to catch up,” states the Yamaha Technical Director.
Yamaha won’t be competitive again until 2026?
However, that doesn’t mean that Yamaha doesn’t have an approximate timetable: “From my point of view, we should be able to close the gap a little next year.”
“But getting closer is one thing, getting competitive is another. So hopefully we will get closer next season and then be competitive again the following season,” says Bartolini.
The new satellite team in the form of Pramac should also help with this. This means that there will once again be four Yamahas on the grid from the 2025 season. “That’s very important, because with more riders you have a comparison, and that’s always good. It makes it easier for us as technicians to find a direction. “
Alex Rins, who like Bartolini has only been part of the Yamaha factory team since this season, agrees with him in his prognosis when he says: “We are aware that we are not going to get back to the front straight away. It is a long-term project.”
“We have already worked a lot on the engine, the electronics and the chassis. But it’s not the case that Max comes from Ducati and the bike is back at a top level. For us, it’s now about using all our experience and giving good feedback to the team,” emphasizes the Spaniard.
“That’s not easy and takes time. Will it not be until 2026? It could happen sooner or later. But I still believe in this project.” That is why Rins extended his contract with Yamaha for another two years
Rins: Already tested seven different engines
Rins does not confirm that he sometimes feels like a test rider, as team-mate Fabio Quartararo recently said. “I wouldn’t say that I feel like a test rider. I’m also in a slightly different situation to Fabio.”
“He has experience with this bike. If he loses himself a little, he goes back to last year’s set-up. I, on the other hand, have to try things out and test different set-ups. That’s not always easy, but when you have nothing to lose and you’re not fighting for a title, it’s the best way to gain experience and data.”
He has already tested seven different engine configurations this year, says Rins – the last one at the Monday test in Misano: “The truth is that it is not very different from the engine we are using now.”
“But they want to go step by step and it’s just a start. Honestly, it’s been quite positive, the bike seems to go into the corners a bit better, which is actually what we were looking for,” continued Rins.
Yamaha’s engineers are also working on a new engine in a V4 configuration, which differs from the in-line four-cylinder engine that the manufacturer has always used in the premier class. The project is well advanced, but the engine has not yet been used on the track.