‘It's not about power’: Why Yamaha is building a V4 MotoGP engine - Exclusive

Yamaha caused a stir in September by confirming it has started a V4 engine project alongside its current Inline4 MotoGP powerplant.

At Buriram, Crash.net sat down with Yamaha’s new-for-2024 MotoGP technical director, Max Bartolini, to discover the reasons for the V4 decision, when it might be raced and more.

But first, a bit about Bartolini’s background…

Crash.net
When you were growing up Max, did you always want to be an engineer or a rider? How did it all start for you?

Max Bartolini:
This is a good question. I always wanted to be a technician, an engineer more than a rider or a driver. And my career actually started with rally cars, in 1996, because where I come from in Italy, rallies were the most popular motorsport.

Crash.net
Why did you change to bikes?

Max Bartolini:
Because I also liked motorcycles a lot. So I was in Formula One and when Ducati called me, I decided to move. I’ve always decided by instinct! I’m still like that!

Crash.net
You were at Ducati for a long time…

Max Bartolini:
Yes, more or less 20 years.

Crash.net
How many of those were working with Gigi [Dall’Igna]?

Max Bartolini:
I moved to Ducati in 2004. So ten years before Gigi, and then almost ten years with Gigi.

At the beginning, I was mostly working in World Superbike and from 2010 I moved to the MotoGP project. Working with Gigi was very good, he has a very unique way to manage many parts of the technical side.

Crash.net
The big technical news for Yamaha is the V4 engine. Why do you think it could be an advantage?

Max Bartolini:
With the V4, everybody thinks about the engine itself. But I think the biggest advantage is from the layout of the bike, more than from the engine.

In terms of pure power, honestly, listening to our engine department, it shouldn’t be a big difference.

But there are some ways to manage the layout of the bike that will be a little bit easier with the V4. And also to go more in the direction of the tyres, because it's always a matter of making the tyres work.

Yamaha was pretty good with Bridgestone. And for sure they have had many good races also with Michelin. But Michelin is more [about] using the rear tyres than the front.

This is kind of where the [V4] engine layout can help; to build the bike around the engine in that [rear tyre] direction. So that is the challenge.

Honestly, to make the [V4] engine is difficult, but I think it's more [important] to make the bike around the [V4} engine.

Crash.net
Is a V4 better suited to having a longer, lower bike?

Max Bartolini:
First, aerodynamic-wise the [V4] bike should be 10 to 15 centimetres narrower, and this normally will help aerodynamics a lot. Then weight distribution, bike layout, will go a little bit ‘more backward’. Easier to manage.

In general, those two points are good enough to help. And also, normally a V4 engine is a little bit lighter than an Inline4.

So everything goes in the direction that maybe you can have an advantage [with the V4]. But this doesn't mean it will [automatically] be the best. Because still we need to make a bike and prove that it's faster than the actual one now!

Crash.net
Do you think that the single tyre rule and having all the other bikes on V4s, means the tyres are moving away from the Inline corner-speed style?

Max Bartolini:
I don't know if it's like this… Because 10 years ago, third place was one-second a lap behind. Now it’s one-tenth and if you have a one-second gap you are 15th.

If all the others are on the V4, you should at least have a look. It would not be smart to don't have a look.

Crash.net
When you signed for Yamaha, did you know about the V4?

Max Bartolini:
No, not really. We had an exchange of opinion, but I think they had already in mind that they needed to check.

Crash.net
Will it be a 90-degree V angle like the others in MotoGP?

Max Bartolini:
Still open, let’s say.

Crash.net
As far as the timeline for the V4, Alex Rins said maybe the middle of next year. But you will only race it if it is quicker than the inline, so it’s not guaranteed?

Max Bartolini:
No, it’s not guaranteed. Right now, we cannot tell anything honestly, until we put a performing bike on the ground [track].

Because, as you know, to build a new bike like that, it’s completely new parts compared to the current one. We won't save almost anything, except maybe brakes, suspension and electronics.

But to put a performing bike on the ground, first it will be months that you have to check the reliability, that the bike works. And after that, you have to make a performing bike.

Until then, you cannot tell [when it might be raced].

Crash.net
You're developing the current 1,000cc Inline engine and now a V4 engine. Are you also developing Inline and V4 versions of the 850cc engine for 2027?

Max Bartolini:
This is still a little bit to decide, let's say. For sure we start to look at everything together and I think sooner rather than later we have to make a decision.

Because we cannot afford to have 3-4 parallel projects, even if now we try to put a lot of effort. But in any case, we have limited resources, human power.

Yamaha is really pushing. But so far, in any case, they are not so big on the racing department [as] some people think. The company is very big, but the racing department can be bigger.

So sooner or later we need to decide. When? Still, we don't have enough information for me to decide yet.

Crash.net
You mentioned resources, are Marmotors [Luca Marmorini] helping with the V4?

Max Bartolini:
Yeah, yeah. They are part of our engine development.

Crash.net
Including the V4?

Max Bartolini:
For everything. We are completely working together. We consider them more as a part of Yamaha than as a consultant or external company. They help with everything, Inline4 and V4, it doesn’t matter.

Crash.net
When choosing between the Inline and V4, could it be a bit like when Rossi moved to Yamaha in 2004 and Masao Furusawa presented him with a range of engines to test and Rossi picked the ‘big bang’?

Max Bartolini:
As I say, it’s a little bit early now, because first we have to see how the V4 engine works.

But generally compared to 2004, the bigger difference now is that engines are much, much more powerful than in 2004. And also the electronics. Because in 2004 almost nobody had ride-by-wire.  

Right now, with the electronics, the actual philosophy is to build a strong [powerful] engine and try to manage it as well as possible with the electronics.

But first you need to arrive at the actual level of power, which is, I don't know, 50 or 60 horsepower more. I think it's quite challenging. That is the difference compared to 2004. Now electronics manage much more.

Crash.net
Yamaha has four riders in MotoGP next year. Is it possible some might choose to race a V4 engine and some stay on the Inline4?

Max Bartolini:
Honestly, I never thought about this. I don't know if the company can afford to build two different bikes, because we are not just talking about different engines.

That would mean two different development directions, two different sets of spare parts etc. I think it would be very difficult.

I think sooner or later, you have to decide.