Former KTM technical director Fabiano Sterlacchini is in negotiations with Honda to hitch its MotoGP ranks, Motorsport.com understands.
Sterlacchini spent 17 years at Ducati, rising to the position of MotoGP technical director earlier than signing with KTM in June 2021 to steer its engineering division.
In July the Austrian model introduced it had been unable to succeed in an settlement to resume Sterlacchini’s contract and he’ll go away KTM this yr.
“The space from his dwelling, which is sort of removed from right here [Austria], was a component to bear in mind, however I do not wish to use it as a major excuse,” Pit Beirer, KTM motorsport director, mentioned final month. “We could not agree on sure issues about the way to proceed, and that is the explanation we agreed to half methods.”
Motorsport.com understands that Sterlacchini is in negotiations with Honda to turn out to be a part of the HRC construction, but when a deal is agreed he won’t be part of till November resulting from his KTM association.
Joan Mir, Repsol Honda Crew
Picture by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
It isn’t the one possibility on the desk for the Italian, who’s weighing up remaining in MotoGP or specializing in a brand new position exterior of racing.
The negotiations with Sterlacchini present Honda’s newest willingness to speak in confidence to hiring and following the methodologies of European engineers and transfer away from its Japanese focus.
Final yr HRC’s prime administration held talks with Ducati boss Gigi Dall’Igna, to attempt to get the providers of the engineer who has remodeled the Italian producer into the dominant pressure in MotoGP lately.
HRC’s most up-to-date main engineering addition was Ken Kawauchi, who was recruited from Suzuki after the Hamamatsu producer closed its MotoGP division on the finish of 2022.
Contemplating Honda’s drift this season, the producer sits backside of the MotoGP constructors’ desk, and from feedback made by manufacturing facility riders Joan Mir and Luca Marini, it doesn’t appear that Kawauchi’s arrival has offered the anticipated turnaround in efficiency.
