(Reuters) – Fabiano Sterlacchini will be the Aprilia team’s new technical director who is set to take charge after the 2024 season when he replaces Romano Albesiano, who is moving to Honda, the two MotoGP teams announced on Friday.
Former KTM technical director Sterlacchini will take charge on Nov. 18, one day after the final Grand Prix of the season in Valencia.
He will be tasked with making Aprilia a competitive team after the Italian outfit signed current championship leader Jorge Martin with the Spaniard set to leave Pramac Racing at the end of the season.
“Fabiano’s arrival is another important step in further strengthening of the MotoGP project, following the signing of two young and talented riders, Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi,” the team said in a statement.
“Aprilia Racing wish to thank Romano Albesiano for his 11 years as Technical Director of the team, as well as for his 20 years within the Piaggio Group.”
Aprilia are third in the constructors’ standings this season behind champions Ducati and KTM while Honda are last.
Honda have not won a title since Marc Marquez’s sixth in 2019 and Albesiano will take charge of the struggling Japanese outfit from the start of 2025.
Marquez’s departure from Honda to Gresini Racing and the poor performances from their current riders, none of whom are in the top 15 in the riders’ championship, also saw their main sponsor Repsol cut ties from the next season.
“Albesiano will oversee HRC’s MotoGP project and the continued development of the Honda RC213V machine as Technical Director,” Honda said.
“The Italian joins HRC with three decades of motorcycle and racing development experience.”
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; editing by David Evans)
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