Aprilia’s new technical director Fabiano Strelacchini says it was a “mutually agreed” decision for him to leave his MotoG🐼P role at KTM after “there was no longer a great compatibility”.

Sterlacchini was a v♍༺eteran of Ducati when he left to join the KTM project in June of 2021.

H🐟owever, 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 rไace winners for𝓀 the first time in MotoGP.

Speaking to TG Regione Marche, Sterlacchini said of his decision to leave KTM: “The logistical aspect s⭕omewhat 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 ꦆmutual agreement.”

Sterlacchini began his role with Aprilia at the end of t𝓡he 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 f⭕actory 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 goin🎶g 💧pretty well.

“The initi𝄹🌄al 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 tw🍌o 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 reﷺigning world champion.”

Aprilia was the only manufactu൩rer 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 t🅠he second half of the season saw Aprilia slip to third in the manufacturers’ standings behind KTM.

Its highest placed ride♔r in the championship was Vinales - who moves to KTM for 2025 - in seventh.