Yamaha recruit two major Ducati engineers in a bid to keep Fabio Quartararo
Massimo Bartolini has left his job as Vehicl🍨e Performance Engineer at Ducati to become Yamaha’s new technical director.
This follows Marco Nicotra, who lཧeft Ducati t𝔍o become Yamaha’s Head of Aerodynamics in October.
Thꦆe signing of Bartolini represents a major step forward for Yamaha who struggled badly in 2023.
He was a close confidant of Ducati supremo Gigi Dal🧸l’Igna and Yamaha hope his expertise can give them a major boost.
It is s☂till unclear, however, whether Bartolini will replace Kazutoshi Seki, who led the M1 project last year, report, or work alongside him.
Bartolini also represent🍷s a more European-centric structure to Yamaha’s 2024 plꦦans.
These behind-the-scenes changes ar♉e with a view to ke💙eping star rider Quartararo.
2021 MotoGP champion Quartararo’s con🦩tract with Yamaha expires at the end of this season and the Japanese manufacturer knows he will leavꦚe unless they deliver a bike that is more competitive than last year.
Yamaha are the only manufacturer to have just two bikes on the 2024 grid, however they will benef🅠it from the new c♊oncessions regulations.
The arrival of two brains from Ducati could help them kick on even m꧟ore.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covꦯering everything from American🐓 sports, to football, to F1.
