Valentino Rossi's crew chief Silvano Galbusera believes the key to Yamaha's MotoGP success in 2018 will come from increased expertise with Magneti Marelli's spec-electronics package.
After a lacklustre performance last year, the veteran spannerman has identified that superior knowledge used by Ducati and clever recruiting from HRC meant the Iwata factory were behind the curve all of last season in terms of electronics and the team weren't able to find a solution to their rear grip problems in both wet and dry.
"Ducati has worked with Magneti Marelli for many years and last year HRC hired an electronics engineer who had worked in Ducati and then in Magneti Marelli," said Galbusera.
"These people know everything about the system, so it's easier for them to find the right setting."
Both Rossi and Maverick Vinales struggled with tyre wear in the dry and a complete lack of grip in the rain for most of the 2017 season. A change of chassis mid-season didn't really provide any solutions, and it is believed that at Sepang at the end of the month, both will use a 2016 M1 chassis derivative allied to a new engine specification.
