Andrea Iannone explained how difficult it was to stay away from competition and how happy it made him to make it to Superbike. Smiling at the end of the weekend World SBK in Catalonia, the fall of Race 2 did not damage his confidence.
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He's had a tough few years, but Andrea Iannone is determined to enjoy running as much as possible, as long as he has the energy, motivation and speed. He is 34 years old (he will be 35 in August) and has the desire of a young boy, as we have seen in his approach to the new adventure in World Superbike. The Go Eleven team and Ducati offered him an opportunity that he absolutely wants to exploit. The first round in Australia went very well, with a podium in Race 1 and a 4th place in Race 2, while in the Superpole Race it was a technical problem that deprived him of the chance to fight for the podium. Now it is interesting to see him back in action in the round in Catalonia, where a preliminary test took place.
Superbike, Iannone: the return from hell
The Abruzzo pilot declared on the official website of the World SBK how complicated it was to experience the post-disqualification period and not race for four years: “ At first, it was dramatic. It's hard to understand and adapt because I lost my whole life. When you lose everything, you're a little disoriented. It's like a big accident, but for a big accident, you stop for maybe a year. Difficult to explain. I felt a lot of support from fans, family and friends, but it wasn't easy. Especially the first year, I was more withdrawn into myself, then little by little, I started to live more normally again. ."
Iannone explained how the desire to return to the World Superbike Championship was born, where he is making his debut after spending the rest of his career in MotoGP: « I have stopped following MotoGP – he admits – and I started following WorldSBK. I don't know why, but it's reality. When I followed certain races, I wanted to be there and fight. This is why from time to time I started talking to Gigi Dall'Igna. One day I went to Misano with my father and I met him, we talked a little and then he said to me: 'So, Andrea, do you want it and do you think you are ready?'. I told him yes. I'm excited about this return after a long time. I'm happy, I'm living a dream. I won't find what I lost, it's impossible, but part of what I want is to try to find my happiness again ."
How will things go in Barcelona?
The Maniac feels really comfortable in the WorldSBK paddock, it’s the environment that suits him after the delicate period he had to go through: “ The atmosphere is fantastic. I felt a lot of passion and there is a very good energy for me. Throughout my career I thought it was the best championship, now I'm here and I want to enjoy it. The level is very high, the first 10-12 drivers are really fast."
This weekend in Barcelona, he will try to do as well as at Phillip Island. The conditions will be different, with less grip, but during testing he showed that he was at a good level. Clearly, the race weekend is something else and it will be curious to see if he has the potential to confirm himself in the group of the best Superbike riders. The Go Eleven team is working hard to put them in the best possible position to achieve positive results, the conditions are set for another positive weekend.
Andrea Iannone's weekend in Catalonia ended with a crash in Race 2 which leaves the rider and the Go Eleven team with a lot of regrets. He was comfortably in fourth place and probably would have managed to hold on to it until the end, but he slipped and had to retire. It's a real shame, because he was also very competitive in Barcelona: fourth in Race 1 and second in the Superpole Race. He continues to prove his worth after a four-year ban that kept him from racing.
Superbike Barcelona, Andrea Iannone's results
Although the fall deprived him of another positive result, The Maniac is very satisfied with his competitiveness and explains what led to his crash in Race 2: “ In the end, I'm happy with how the weekend went. Compared to Saturday we found something positive at the rear, but we lost a little at the front and therefore I struggled more with the tires during the race. That's the game, we took risks to improve and we didn't improve as much as we wanted. However, we have gained experience and collected information. For me, this round was difficult, I had no experience with these tires. At the end of the weekend I can say that I learned and I am happy."
During the Superpole Race, he was quick to take advantage of Toprak Razgatlioglu's overtake on Alvaro Bautista in the final corner to also overtake the Spaniard. A type of race he likes: « The Superpole Race is like a boxing match - he comments - it's incredible. In every corner there are overtakes, it's funny that there are all these battles and I'm happy with my result. I just came back and I didn't expect to be at this level in the second round. The whole team must be happy, continue to work and improve. When you're close to closing the gap, the final details are always difficult to iron out ."
Andrea satisfied with her first steps in SBK
Iannone did not imagine that he would be so fast straight away during this first experience in the Superbike World Championship: “ I'm very surprised and at the same time I'm having fun. I hope to continue like this and improve race after race. I'm fifth overall, but it's too early to think about that now. We are only at the second meeting, now it is important to get the maximum from each race. Now I don't want to think about the championship, I focus on gaining experience and progressing. It is reality " .
The next round of the WorldSBK calendar will take place at TT Assen, a circuit where he has raced for many years in the MotoGP world championship but which he will tackle for the first time with the Ducati Panigale V4 R: " We will see, I have good memories of Assen. It's a good track, it's historic. I've never raced there on a Superbike and I can't wait to do it. I hope we have a positive weekend ."
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Matteo Bellan
