It's not the compliments that are raining down, at the moment, towardsAndrea Iannone. His personality and his entourage were already disturbing during the time of Ducati but the good results helped cushion the shock of a sulphurous reputation. This is not the case with this period Suzuki is currently exposing him. Osmosis with the GSX-RR is to be done while behind the scenes, the incandescent companion Belen Rodriguez annoyed. Happy in love, unhappy in business they say. Rumor is already predicting that things could go wrong. It's about time Maniac Joe answered.
Andrea Iannone knows that the results are not there, that her adventure with Suzuki goes from Charybdis to Scylla to the point where her bosses would no longer like to see her friend, with certain advantages, wandering around the box at the risk of capturing most of her his concentration. On this point, the Italian pilot responds to his compatriots of GP One : “ to be completely honest, I think Belen is certainly more welcome than me in the booth ».
A response in the form of a pirouette, an attempt at humor to lighten the mood. He pursues : " it is an inevitable situation. We are both public figures and she is very well known and often talked about. It's like that. The results aren't there, so we blame it on her. But I let people talk, they think what they want ».
« This is not the first time that I have been in difficulty and I do not doubt for a single second that I will get through it. So at that point people will change their minds ". The situation is therefore serious, but not desperate. Even if Iannone made its worst start to the season since 2013: “ no one remembers this year » assures the teammateAlex Rins.
To get out of it, you have to work on the Suzuki: “ When I was at Ducati, there were several Desmosedici on the track. There, I am alone. Guintoli tries to help me but his driving style is too far from mine. I'm happy to see Rins coming back, I think we can both do a good job. We spoke together in Barcelona and together we can be more effective ».
But the road promises to be long because the solutions are not yet there: “ I can't brake as hard as usual, otherwise I lose the front. Now, I have to finish the shopping. The data shows it: I can't brake properly and we have a problem with acceleration. On the other hand, the bike enters corners well and is efficient at the apex. The new chassis tested in Catalonia was quite similar to the one I have. With some positive points though. Maybe I will use it in Assen ».
« Everyone is mobilized 110% and we will get through this. We just need to be calm and patient, give the engineers in Japan something to work on. We're not just talking about changing the chassis, there are other aspects that require weeks of work. Everyone is doing everything they can, Suzuki and myself. It's not easy right now ».
He finishes : " I believe in this team, in this manufacturer, in this project, this bike is an incredible base. I need to regain my confidence in my driving and we will be competitive again ». Iannone signed a two-year contract with Suzuki, alex rins is back, and mid-season is approaching…
