It's a bombshell, a historic moment that has just happened in the motorcycle Grand Prix with this announcement from Honda. The world's leading manufacturer has in fact decided to put its technical destiny in MotoGP in the hands of a European by bringing Romano Albesiano to its helm. The latter will therefore leave Aprilia at the end of this season to join Aleix Espargaró at the bedside of the RC213V. In Noale, there was a quick reaction by announcing the man who left KTM in the middle of the current campaign, Fabio Sterlacchini, as the successor...
The official announcement is historic: “ Honda Racing Corporation is pleased to announce the signing of Romano Albesiano as Technical Director. From the beginning of 2025, Albesiano will oversee HRC's MotoGP project and the continued development of the Honda RC213V as Technical DirectorThe Italian joins HRC with three decades of experience in motorcycle development and racing, having most recently spent 11 years as part of Aprilia's MotoGP project. ».
A European will therefore lead the technical path of an HRC which, until now, was an area reserved exclusively for the Japanese. Aprilia Racing has reacted by announcing a major change in its technical organization with the arrival of Fabiano Sterlacchini, former engineer of Ducati et KTM, who will take up the position of technical director, replacing Roman AlbesianThis change will take effect on November 18, 2024, just after the end of the MotoGP season.
Romano Albesiano enters history
Sterlacchini, with his experience within large teams such as Ducati et KTM, is seen as a strategic reinforcement to strengthen the ambitions ofAprilia in MotoGP. The Italian manufacturer's project aims to further improve its performance after a season marked by the arrival of two very talented riders, George Martin et Marco Bezzecchi, who will join the team in 2025.
In its official press release, aprilia-racing expressed his gratitude to Roman Albesian for his 11 years of service as Technical Director, as well as for his 20 years within the Piaggio Group. Albesian played a key role in the development of the RS-GP, helping Aprilia to become a competitive force in MotoGP, and his departure marks the end of an era for the Italian team.
With Sterlacchini in charge of technical development, Aprilia hopes to take another step in its quest for victories and titles, thus reinforcing its status as a serious contender in the premier class. But of the two Italian engineers, it is Albesian who goes down in history.
