Max Bartolini: V4 Engine Will Make Yamaha M1 “Completely Different…
Yamaha Technical Director Max Bartolini reveals the new V4 engine will make the M1 a completely different MotoGP bike.
After securing the 2021 MotoGP World Championship, Fabio Quartararo’s journey with Yamaha took a challenging turn. Following a difficult title defense in 2022, where he lost to Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia, the Frenchman’s frustrations mounted as the Yamaha M1 slipped to become one of the least competitive bikes on the grid.
Quartararo admitted the team’s struggles in early 2024 were immense: “It was very tough from the first race until after the Austrian GP. We made a big change in mentality and the way we worked. Everything was better, but not the performance.”
Yamaha’s issues weren’t just on the track; internally, the team needed to rethink its entire approach, a shift that began following the Misano test:
“From the Misano test onwards, we worked well to find a way. As a rider, you are automatically faster when you feel there is an improvement. Hopefully, we can continue to improve until the end of the season.”
Despite positive steps, Quartararo admitted that at one point in 2023, he seriously considered leaving Yamaha. The turning point, he revealed, was a restructuring within the team.
“I asked Yamaha to change their mentality and bring people into the project who know the red bike – the one that is currently winning. Max Bartolini is the person in the team who persuaded me to stay with Yamaha.”
“The way of working and decision making is much faster now. In the past, we needed a week or a month to do what could have been done in a minute.”
Bartolini’s influence extended beyond just technical adjustments. The former Ferrari F1 engineer joined Yamaha as Technical Director, which ultimately convinced Quartararo to commit to the brand that had helped elevate him to the top of MotoGP.
“I didn’t believe in the project before, but now I do. It was a long decision – from September 2023 to March 2024 – but Yamaha did everything I asked for.”
Quartararo acknowledged the criticism he faced for staying with Yamaha despite the tough results, but his loyalty to the brand, and its history in MotoGP, played a significant role in his choice.
“It was very important to keep faith in the brand that has brought me to where I am today. They took me in 2019 when I was a nobody and we became world champions together.”
Now entering his sixth year with Yamaha, he’s optimistic about the team’s future: “We were at our lowest point in the middle of this year, but I want to come back with them. I don’t have infinite time, but the next two years I will be fully committed to make a big step and fight for the world championship again.”
“It’s my sixth year with Yamaha. Time flies, but I’m in a legendary team. We have tough years, but we must not forget that the Japanese manufacturers have always won in the past.”
