Honda Announces New MotoGP Technical Director

Honda has pinched Romano Albesiano away from Aprilia, with Fabiano Sterlacchini heading to Aprilia as his replacement for the 2025 MotoGP season.

Aprilia is already set to have two new factory riders in the form of Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi next season, but a new technical director is also on the cards as the Noale company confirmed the news earlier today.

Albesiano has been confirmed at Honda where he will attempt to spearhead the Japanese brand’s charge back towards the top of MotoGP after many difficult seasons.

It’s rumoured that Albesiano left his post at Aprilia first, causing them to react to Honda’s signing by adding Sterlacchini to its ranks.

A statement from Honda said: “Honda Racing Corporation are pleased to announce the signing of Romano Albesiano as Technical Director. From the start of 2025, Albesiano will oversee HRC’s MotoGP project and the continued development of the Honda RC213V machine as Technical Director.

“The Italian joins HRC with three decades of motorcycle and racing development experience, having most recently spent 11 years as part of Aprilia’s MotoGP project.”

At the helm of Aprilia’s entire MotoGP project at one stage, Albesiano has been working alongside Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola in recent years.

Sterlacchini on the other hand was a long-term member of Ducati before joining KTM in 2021, where he led the technical side of its road racing project. But that partnership was confirmed to be ending earlier this season when KTM made a change, claiming logistical difficulties were one of the reasons why.

While Honda has gone backwards in recent years, Aprilia has taken major steps forward and Albesiano has been a key cog in the success achieved. Aprilia is the only manufacturer other than Ducati to win a sprint and Grand Prix in 2024, while it also has four Grand Prix wins since 2022, second behind Ducati.

Find all the latest motorcycle news on Visordown.com.