Andrea Iannone is happy to have put the stoppage that compromised his career behind him: he is now looking to the future.
About Matteo Bellan / Corsedimoto.com
December 17, 2023 is a very important day for Andrea Iannone. Indeed, the disqualification for doping which had forced him not to race for four years has officially ended. We know that in 2024 he will be at the start of the Superbike World Championship with the Ducati Panigale V4 R of the Go Eleven team. He was already able to complete a lap during the Jerez tests at the end of the last championship and is very motivated for next year.
Superbike, Iannone says goodbye to disqualification
Iannone wrote an eloquent message on her official Instagram profile: “ After four long and difficult years, from today I am free again. Good luck to me!“. There was no shortage of messages from other pilots (e.g. Jorge Martin, Fabio Di Giannantonio and Alex Rins). And many fans also wrote her encouraging thoughts for the future.
We couldn't miss that of his partner Elodie, who also shared the publication in one of her Instagram stories, writing: “ Good luck my love, always with you“. The famous singer has been very supportive of him since they became a permanent couple and will certainly not miss his presence at certain events on the SBK calendar.
What happened to the pilot
Andrea Iannone was suspended by the International Motorcycling Federation on December 17, 2019 due to a positive drostanolone test. It is an anabolic steroid, a doping substance banned by WADA found in the urine analysis carried out on November 3 during the Malaysian Grand Prix. 1 nanograms per milliliter, a small amount found.
The Maniac was confident of being able to prove his innocence, in particular the fact that he had taken this substance completely involuntarily or through food contamination. However, on April 1, the FIM International Disciplinary Tribunal disqualified him for 18 months. There remained an appeal to the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) in Lausanne, to which he and WADA turned, obviously with different objectives.
The World Anti-Doping Agency won, as the CAS accepted the request for disqualification for 4 years (last day December 16, 2023). The sentence of November 10, 2020 was devastating for the pilot, convinced that he could obtain the cancellation of the 18 months previously imposed and then found himself with a much heavier sentence. He suffered a lot, but he held on and at 34 years old he is ready to get back in the game.
