Andrea Iannone freewheeling: the restart in Superbike, the objectives, the reflections. And a revelation: Ducati was not the only chance...
About Paolo Gozzi de Motoracing
A week after causing a sensation during the Jerez Superbike testing, first roar after four years of silence, Andrea Iannone stood out. He did it in Milan, in front of a very small group of journalists. A meeting between old and new friends, more than a press conference. There will be time to discuss performances, schedules, opponents and world title prospects. What is striking at this moment is the smile of a pilot and a happy boy. It's as if two half days on the track, with a racing motorcycle, had suddenly erased four years of bad thoughts, anger, accusations, controversies. Speed works wonders if it's in your blood. Andrea Iannone spoke of sensations, hopes, dreams. The same as when he was a child. Here are his thoughts.
“Always believe, never give up.”
« During these four years, I never stopped training and I continued to consider motorcycling as a dream, because for me riding a racing motorcycle has always been a dream, since my childhood. This is still the case today. I never gave up on running again. From time to time, when I could, I went for a ride in Misano, even with the karts, I love them. Every time I rode, I was reminded every time of the first races I did as a child. That's kind of how I feel today ».
A new start.
« The Jerez test was like when I started riding on track. It was my brother who ran, I didn't have the seven years needed to run. I wanted to run but I couldn't, a bit like now. I'm happy to be able to do it again. I know it will be a long, complex and difficult journey. The opponents are very strong, the talent is high. I will try to do my best, with the team, with Ducati ».
Andrea Iannone: “ Ducati was important for this comeback »
« Ducati was important for this comeback. I met Gigi Dall'Igna, I started talking to him, he looked at me and said "What do you want?" » I replied “Gigi, you know me”. I had several intimate moments with him during my career, and I remember them all because they were all meaningful to me. One was in Barcelona in 2009. I was racing an Aprilia 125GP, in Caponera's team. I was first in the World Championship, but in some races my bike didn't work, every time I cried after the race, I understood that I had potential but I couldn't express it, it wasn't not easy without an official motorcycle.”
“I went to see Gigi, I told her about my suffering and on Sunday I won the GP. I met him at the airport and said “Thank you”. Coming back to the Misano episode, Gigi said to me, “You know it’s going to be difficult, right? » I answer: “Of course it will be very difficult, but you know me, if I say something, I will do everything to keep my promise”. From there we started building everything, and today here I am. I also have to thank Claudio Domenicali, Paolo Ciabatti and of course the whole Go Eleven team”.
Doubts.
« I had a lot of doubts, myself first of all. I was looking for answers. I was excited for two reasons: to ride a race bike and to understand where I would start again. Having a starting point is important, whether positive or negative, at least we have an idea. The first test went very well. I was surprised too. This does not mean that we are ready, that we can win, that everything is done. It was a good day, but don't get your hopes up. Sometimes we indulge in good feelings, but then they can change. Nothing is taken for granted in motorcycle racing. I have experience, so I am aware that the road is long and will be tiring. But we chose to take on this challenge, the team and I. We are ready ».
The Ducati.
« This is the bike I won my first MotoGP race with. With her, I went through hell and reached the pinnacle of love. It's my life, at Ducati I have a lot of people with whom I have good memories. Even after the test, I talked to a lot of people, they complimented me, I felt they were happy. When I thought about coming back, I saw myself riding a Ducati. I can't explain why. This is a significant challenge, I loved being able to take it on with the people who mattered most to me. Go Eleven is an important structure, driven by passion. I found Denis Sacchetti (the team manager, editor's note) whom I saw racing on a minibike when we were both children. We took different paths, but this one is also romantic. You start from one point, and then you always come back to that one thing, when I was little. I get carried away by things like that ».
Skeptics said that after a four-year hiatus…
« I agree with the team managers who were skeptical, I was surprised too. I knew that it would be difficult to resume automatisms, that after a long absence it is difficult to start again. It's hard for me to be surprised by something, but this time it happened. I'm happy like that ».
The night before.
« The Go Eleven guys asked me the night before if I was nervous. But I slept very well. No, I wasn't nervous. I just wanted to have fun, I wanted to enjoy coming out of the box, the first lap, the first run. I wasn't moved, I didn't cry. I actually laughed, like a three-year-old playing pranks. I laughed alone in my headphones. It was what I was looking for. Because I know that if that is there, everything else follows. Speed didn't interest me, I wanted to rediscover these sensations which are fundamental ».
A physical training.
« When you participate in a championship, you travel a lot and you stay away from home for a long time. You prepare as much as possible, but you have fewer days available. Instead, for years I was able to work out every day. I have increased my performance, I run faster than in 2019. I am in good shape. I missed the bike, obviously. There are muscles that you train simply by turning. Pain in the arms therefore appeared during the tests, especially on the second day. I took breaks of at least twenty minutes between one run and another, because I didn't have the same strength as in the morning. ».
What Andrea Iannone remembered.
« This experience of disqualification for doping taught me that everything in life can change at any time. Of course we all know it, but we don't believe it. Until it happens to you, you always think it must happen to someone else. I'm basically an eternally positive romantic, it gives me energy. Instead everything changes, that's the biggest lesson I've had ».
Admiration for Bautista.
« I have read very sweet words from the adversaries I will meet. It's always nice to see how strong and formidable you are. But the truth is that Alvaro Bautista won two World Superbike Championships and I saw him win them on TV. So let's wait to say that I'm the driver to beat. I admire Bautista. Being world champion is good, but winning twice in a row is better, because the most difficult thing is to reconfirm yourself. This means that you have again done something that happens very few times. It's incredible, he is in a significant state of grace. It has an advantage in terms of weight, but it is a disadvantage in other respects ».
Ducati wasn't the only chance.
« The Ducati was not the only chance I had for this return. I spoke to the manufacturers who were interested, but I didn't want to know the details, because I never hesitated, I didn't want to be influenced. I wanted to surround myself with the people who surround me today ».
What is Andrea Iannone waiting for
« After such a short test, it is difficult to make predictions. Every pilot wants to aim for the summit, but it's a journey. Today, the objective is to have a season starting from a fixed point, and going upwards. I would like to achieve consistent growth throughout the year ».
The start of the World Championship on Phillip Island.
« Let me start by saying that I don't have any favorite or unfavorable plots. Because if you're not fast on a track, it's not about the design, it's about how slow you are. I've always thought of things that way. I have important memories in Australia. Do you remember the “seagull race” in MotoGP? There were 57 overtakes, a record in the history of motorcycle racing. Then I also caught the seagull, everything happened. And with the Aprilia? I found myself in front of everyone saying, “What am I doing here?” » it was an epic moment. We finished fifth and the Aprilia was different from today ».
