Whispers in MotoGP paddock hint at Yamaha joy in 2025
Yamaha’s prospects for the season ahead is the main talking point of this week’s Crash MotoGP Podcast
Enduring a difficult 2024 MotoGP season, Yamaha did at least show signs of growth as the year went on to the point where it can start to look at bigger things in 2025.
The Japanese manufacturer went without a podium in 2024, as a new technical leader in Max Bartolini tried to get Yamaha moving in the direction it needed to.
A solid end to the 2024 campaign has put Yamaha onto a better trajectory, only bolstered by the fact it gains a satellite team for 2025.
But what can Yamaha expect as a realistic target this season?
“From Yamaha’s perspective, I think there’s a lot more going for them,” Crash Senior Journalist Lewis Duncan says on this week’s podcast.
“Max Bartolini’s influence has clearly been great in terms of not only the technical mindset he’s been able to shift in Yamaha, I think the confidence he’s inspired in the riders - especially [Fabio] Quartararo - is a really important thing.
“Remember the past couple of years, you spoke to Quartararo and he was quite miserable, not happy, always down, nothing positive to say, and his own frustrations got the better of him in terms of he wants to be competitive but the fact he’s not upset him.
“Bartolini has obviously been able to get him in some capacity to think about the bigger picture, and I think that’s only been a positive for Yamaha.
“You look at where they were towards the end of last year, they got to the Malaysian Grand Prix which in the past couple of years had been a write-off for them, but both bikes were comfortably inside the top 10.
“They had their best race of the season, good foundations to build on. They’ve now got a satellite team, so more testing can be done on race weekends, more data to collate from - it just accelerates things a bit.
“So I think Yamaha will be looking definitely at breaching that top 10 every weekend, that will be the baseline goal. And maybe towards the end of the year hoping they’ve got enough to challenge for podiums.”
Crash Social Media Manager Jordan Moreland adds: “Max Bartolini has almost inspired Quartararo. I believe he drove to his house just to see him and speak to him for a lot of hours.
“The guy must have something to have inspired a world champion. I think that’s really positive to see because Quartararo has signed for Yamaha for a number of years now and he’s the guy.
“When he’s confident and happy, surely that means results will come, and I think 2025 will be better. There’s something in my stomach that tells me they will be better again.”
Peter McLaren, Crash MotoGP Editor, notes that one of the key things Bartolini has been able to do at Yamaha is “remove doubts” about what Ducati is doing better compared to the Japanese marque.
“It’s interesting. I think Massimo Rivola was one, I think Pecco [Bagnaia] at the Ducati launch, a few people have said that they expect Yamaha to make a step,” McLaren said.
“Some of their rivals have looked on and said ‘yeah, they’re heading in the right direction here’.
“On Max Bartolini, I think coming from Ducati and all those years there just removes that doubt.
“I think there were doubts, bearing in my Quartararo has only ever ridden a Yamaha, ‘what are they doing over there, what are they doing that’s different?’
“He basically wanted to grill Bartolini and he’s able to remove those doubts.
“So, I think it does make it clearer, and if you’re a team trying to catch up in the way Yamaha and Honda are, you need that kind of thing.
“Honda has signed Romano Albesiano for that same reason. So it’s right to emphasise the confidence it’s giving Quartararo, it was a big reason in him re-signing.”
