Yamaha tech boss pinpoints key trait he’ll bring from Ducati

Max Bartolini has explained the Ducati philosophy he plans to bring to Yamaha.

Bartolini ended a 20-year association with Ducati to become Yamaha’s technical director.

He is crucial to the Japanese manufacturer digging themselves out of the hole that they’ve fallen into.

Bartolini told Motosprint about one trait he wants to bring from Ducati to Yamaha: “Apart from the experience; the way of always pursuing, of trying to go faster, to improve, even through small things.

“Understanding and improving: this is the main engine that drives Ducati at the moment and which perhaps makes the difference over the others.

“I came with the idea of ​​mixing two ways of working.

“Yamaha has a series of extremely positive things, the same goes for Ducati, including speed, reactivity, ingenuity.

“By mixing the two cultures you could get the best of both, over time.

“We always remember that Ducati needed several years to get itself right, and that it started from a base that was perhaps simpler than the one we have here."

Bartolini said about Yamaha’s current MotoGP machine: “The mechanical basis of the bike itself is quite good, maybe we remained a bit stuck on some things.

“On the other side [at Ducati] there was a different potential and the structure was almost entirely standing, Gigi Dall'Igna was very good at directing it in the right direction.

“Without him, perhaps, it would have been impossible."

Bartolini said about changes within Yamaha: “We are changing the way we work, think, approach things, and that's what takes the most time.

“Yamaha's general approach comes from another culture, they are a little more conservative, slower.

“The saying is true that the Japanese think something 10 times before doing it, but we are the opposite.

“The change in attitude is the thing that seems to me to be working the most, and it is the most important."

Bartolini continued: “I have never seen such a large company.

“In Iwata they are giants, the racing environment is less differentiated than at Ducati.

“In Borgo Panigale the racing department was the core business of everything, Yamaha on the other hand is a company that has its heart in production, and I can assure you that it is scary.”

Yamaha’s MotoGP project began to wane after Fabio Quartararo’s 2021 title, and his inability to keep pace with Ducati the following year.

But they have acquired the Pramac satellite team, boosting their numbers to four bikes on the grid in 2025.

They are also plotting to revert to a V4 engine which won’t be an overnight fix, but points to a brighter future for the former powerhouse.