New Aprilia tech boss explains KTM split: “There was no longer great compatibility”
Fabiano Sterlacchini joins Aprilia as technical director
Aprilia’s new technical director Fabiano Strelacchini says it was a “mutually agreed” decision for him to leave his MotoGP role at KTM after “there was no longer a great compatibility”.
Sterlacchini was a veteran of Ducati when he left to join the KTM project in June of 2021.
However, by the summer of this year Sterlacchini had left his post at the Austrian brand and was announced during the Japanese Grand Prix weekend as Aprilia’s new technical director.
He steps in to replace Romano Albesiano, who is headed for Honda having helped steer Aprilia from the back of the grid on its comeback in 2015 to being race winners for the first time in MotoGP.
Speaking to TG Regione Marche, Sterlacchini said of his decision to leave KTM: “The logistical aspect somewhat conditioned the choice, but I also knew that when I started.
“So there were also reasons; from the moment there was no longer a great compatibility, it was a decision by mutual agreement.”
Sterlacchini began his role with Aprilia at the end of the season and is part of widespread change within the Italian manufacturer, which includes a refreshed rider line-up.
Aprilia welcomes 2024 world champion Jorge Martin to its factory team alongside Marco Bezzecchi, while rookie Ai Ogura steps up to race for Trackhouse.
After the first test of the new team in Barcelona last month, Sterlacchini noted: “It’s going pretty well.
“The initial approach of both riders, both Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi, was pretty positive.
“They showed some very good characteristics of the bike.
“Obviously there will be some aspects to work on, but dealing with these two riders will give us the yardstick of where we are and the aspects where we need to work.
“They both come from a very fast bike and Jorge in particular is the reigning world champion.”
Aprilia was the only manufacturer other than Ducati to win a grand prix in 2024, courtesy of Maverick Vinales in America.
But a dip in form for the RS-GP in the second half of the season saw Aprilia slip to third in the manufacturers’ standings behind KTM.
Its highest placed rider in the championship was Vinales - who moves to KTM for 2025 - in seventh.
