Fabiano Sterlacchini was present in Sepang, marking his first appearance in the paddock since being announced as Aprilia’s technical director. A few months ago, he left KTM, and after the last GP of the season, he replaced Romano Albesiano in Noale.
Aleix Espargaró was asked about the Italian’s presence at the Malaysian GP and clarified that they talked, although Sterlacchini was only a guest of Aprilia on this occasion:
– He’s just here as a guest. I talked a bit with him, he was my first crew chief the first time I jumped on a MotoGP in Pramac Ducati. I chatted with him during the lunch. I tried to give my point of view as a really old guy in Aprilia, with the problems that we had in the past, with my experience.
The rider also commented on Sterlacchini’s approach, which makes him confident in Aprilia’s new technical director: ‘He is trying to understand a bit also how we work. I’m happy. He seems to be a good choice from Massimo [Rivola, CEO]’.