MARCO MELANDRI SAYS RUMOURS POINT TO YAMAHA PURSUING APRILIA TECH DIRECTOR FABIANO STERLACCCHINI

Marco Melandri says he has heard “rumours” that Yamaha are “heavily courting” Fabiano Sterlacchini, the technical mastermind behind Aprilia’s recent transformation. Melandri, speaking on the Ciacchere da Box YouTube channel, framed the reported interest as part of Yamaha’s urgency to reverse a difficult period on track, adding: “I’ve heard a rumour that Fabiano Sterlacchini is being heavily courted by Yamaha.” He went on to explain the motivation behind such a move, saying: “Yamaha is willing to do anything to win, and it has to be, since being in MotoGP and always finishing behind is counterproductive.”

The backdrop to Melandri’s comments is Yamaha’s struggle to make the YZR-M1 competitive under the current 2026 rules. The report describes the bike as “easily the slowest” on the grid, with riders complaining throughout the season about a lack of power. Even Fabio Quartararo, despite being one of Yamaha’s key figures, has reportedly struggled to extract the performance he wants from the machine. Quartararo has since moved to Honda, but Yamaha’s management is still investing heavily in an attempt to change its fortunes.

Those investments include major rider changes for the 2027 era. Yamaha have signed Jorge Martin from Aprilia, with Martin currently leading the 2026 championship. Ai Ogura is also set to join Yamaha from Trackhouse Aprilia, creating an entirely new pairing for the Iwata team. The central question, according to the report, is whether Yamaha can deliver the technical improvements needed—especially given that the team has been “notoriously slow” with development in recent years.

In that context, Sterlacchini is presented as a potential solution. The report credits him with “revolutionising” Aprilia since joining from KTM in 2025, turning Aprilia from a squad that was struggling to score podiums into a team with a realistic shot at the 2026 title. Melandri’s suggestion is that Yamaha may see Sterlacchini’s influence—particularly on the riders and overall direction of the project—as a way to address the YZR-M1’s shortcomings, especially as the report notes that Max Bartolini has been struggling to improve development of the bike.