Exclusive - Max Bartolini: Half-a-second in MotoGP “a disaster!”
“Half-a-second in 15 corners is tiny. But everybody is on such a high level”
Monster Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo began the 2024 MotoGP season by finishing in eleventh place, 17.701s behind Francesco Bagnaia in Qatar, with an average deficit of 0.84s per lap.
The Frenchman finished the season in the same eleventh place at November’s Barcelona Grand Prix when he was 10.756s behind Bagnaia over 24 laps, an average loss of 0.45s per lap.
Those numbers broadly point to Yamaha progress over the 20 rounds - despite failing to take a podium for the first time in the MotoGP era - but also illustrate how incredibly close the competition is.
“Right now, the level of all the riders in MotoGP is very high,” Yamaha technical director Max Bartolini told Crash.net.
“New lap records are being set each weekend and everybody is so tight: Ah! Disaster! 4-5 tenths slower!’
“But half-a-second over 15 corners is tiny. Everybody is on such a high level.”
The cream of the 2024 MotoGP crop were Jorge Martin and Francesco Bagnaia, riders Bartolini knows well from two decades at Ducati.
In terms of data, how do the current factory Yamaha duo of 2021 world champion Quartararo and six-time race winner Alex Rins compare to Bagnaia and Martin?
“It’s difficult to compare because of the different package, so the [Yamaha] bike requires a different way to ride,” Bartolini replied.
“For sure, both Fabio and Alex are super talented because they are race winners in MotoGP, and Fabio a world champion.
“In general Fabio is more good on braking and carrying corner speed. Alex is more good at managing the corner exit. But both are very good.
“Now we suffer a lack of performance [from the bike] in general, so you try to override to try to fix it, and sometimes it is not easy.
“That is one of the most difficult conditions; trying not to override. But they are doing a good job.”
Speaking before Bagnaia made his fateful mistake in the Sepang sprint, which handed Martin the breathing room needed to secure his first MotoGP crown, Bartolini said of the title battle:
“Honestly, they both deserve to win it. Already for the past two years, they are very fast. Clearly, at the end, it will be the one that makes less mistakes.
“It's a fair battle between two riders that are very, very good… They can win for many years. It’s a great battle, but I honestly don’t know who will win!”
“Hopefully I’ll be in that situation and let you know!”
During the many twists and turns of the 2024 world championship, TV cameras often cut to the factory Ducati pits, where the calmness of Gigi Dall’Igna contrasted with the emotions of team manager Davide Tardozzi.
When Bartolini watches a MotoGP race, is he more like a Tardozzi or a Dall’Igna?
“Normally I'm quite calm. Maybe except for the last 2-3 laps if you really have something important to fight for,” he said.
“In general, it's more about development [at Yamaha] now. So you watch a race analysing, ‘We gained a little bit there…’. So it’s easier to stay calm.
“Davide [Tardozzi] is on the other side, he’s always been like this!” Bartolini grinned.
“I worked with Davide for 20 years, so he’s more than a friend for me. Then Gigi is very calm. Or at least he looks calm!
“But I think Davide just shows to the world what everybody is thinking in those last two laps when you are fighting for something important.
“Hopefully in the next few years I will be in that situation and let you know!”
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
