Cal Crutchlow joined Yamaha as a test rider at the end of 2020. This was a first step in a timid change at the Iwata manufacturer, which began to consolidate and develop the test team to keep up with rivals. In 2024, more significant changes arrived, with a new mentality and approach.
The British rider spoke to the OMG! MotoGP podcast about how the test team has evolved since he arrived: ‘The test team, when I started… it was non-existent. It was so disconnected from the racing team. It was just like someone riding a Yamaha M1 and the team… there was no collaboration with the racing team. And every year it has improved. Now it is probably the strongest point. Every year the test team does a great job and they do a great job. But now I believe it is very close. The information is given very, very well, it is given to Japan, and as you know a lot has changed at Yamaha. In their mentality, in the way we do things, in the way the racing team does things, and especially now with Max Bartolini there. That’s a huge thing‘.
Regarding the Italian engineer hired from Ducati at the beginning of the year, Crutchlow believes he is essential for Yamaha: ‘I worked with Max in 2014 at Ducati and technically he is probably the best person I have worked with – to oversee everything; I have worked with great chief mechanics, I have worked with teams. I have never worked with anyone bad, but Max was simply way above the others. […]. From an organizational point of view, he has been crucial for Yamaha this year. He has come to many of our tests and will be at many of my European tests this year‘.
Nevertheless, the veteran admitted that the test team still has a lot of essence from Japan, but the efforts are there: ‘I have Silvano Galbusera as the head of mechanics, so to speak. But it is still a practically Japanese test team. Over the years there has been no holding back. They send 27 people to each test. Simply put, the European manufacturers have taken control at this point‘.
