Honda’s Pursuit of Revival: Aleix Espargaro Welcomes Potential Arrival of Fabiano Sterlacchini Amidst Major Overhaul

Sterlacchini? "Should he join, it would bring me great joy," "Honda is in need of significant modifications."

"Let's wait and see. Should he join, it would bring me great joy."

While not explicitly commenting on speculation about former Ducati and KTM technical manager Fabiano Sterlacchini joining Honda, Aleix Espargaro notes that HRC is "fully dedicated to making changes and responding."

Espargaro, who is in his eighth and concluding season of MotoGP racing with Aprilia, will transition to a test rider role with HRC once the year concludes.

Both Yamaha and Honda, hailing from Japan, remain at the lower end of the performance charts. In response, Yamaha has sought help from external sources and has bolstered its operations in Europe.

This entails collaborating with Marmotors, managed by former F1 engine guru Luca Marmorini, in a consultancy role. Additionally, Dallara is contributing expertise in aerodynamics. Furthermore, notable former Ducati employees, like Max Bartolini, have been recruited, with Bartolini now overseeing the technical aspects of every race weekend.

Honda, already reeling from the departure of their leading rider Marc Marquez last year, has made adjustments to its senior Japanese leadership and has engaged Kalex to provide guidance on chassis development.

Significant developments are reportedly on the horizon, including the establishment of a new design center in Europe and the potential acquisition of Sterlacchini.

"Over the past couple of months, I've had extensive discussions with Honda and their team of Japanese engineers," Espargaro noted.

"They are putting in significant effort and recognize that it's challenging to sink further [from their current position], so substantial modifications are necessary if they aim to respond."

"They are fully dedicated to responding and making alterations. They understand the necessity of attempting entirely new methods."

Without specifically naming Sterlacchini, Espargaro went on to say:

"Admittedly, it might not always be pleasant to approach other manufacturers and recruit their engineers, but this is simply the nature of the industry…"

Johann Zarco and Luca Marini, who are currently racing for Honda in MotoGP, both have experience collaborating with Sterlacchini during their time at Ducati. “I haven’t heard anything about it. However, in my opinion, he’s an excellent engineer. He’s very familiar with Ducati due to his extensive background with them and understands the project well,” mentioned Marini, who rides for Repsol Honda, regarding the speculation surrounding HRC and Sterlacchini.

"He achieved remarkable success at KTM due to the bike's high speed. I'm eager to see what happens next. If he joins, it will bring me great joy."

Honda's leadership is dedicating significant resources and time. They are clearly aiming for a comeback victory, and potentially, [Sterlacchini] might be a viable choice.

"I'll feel quite content if he agrees to sign."

"Currently, my priority is to concentrate on my personal development and strive to excel as a rider on the track. Then, we'll see what the future holds."

Following the completion of 11 out of 20 races, Fabio Quartararo emerges as the top rider on a Japanese motorcycle, positioned 14th, while the leading Honda, piloted by Johann Zarco, ranks 18th in the global championship standings.

Ducati, with 389 points, is at the forefront of the constructors' leaderboard, closely trailed by Aprilia with 208 points, and KTM with 194 points. Behind them, Yamaha holds 53 points, while Honda is at 28

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