It was expected, but given his status as suspended due to doping, it was necessary to take all the assurances before announcing Andrea Iannone's return to competition and that's it. He will be a WSBK rider in 2024 on a Ducati Go Eleven in 2024.
« I'm going back to where my life is ". This is howAndrea Iannone commented on the official news, with pleasure, emotion and relief. The arrival of “Joe the Maniac” in the WSBK paddock will certainly add spice to this competition reserved for motorcycles from the series. Promoter Dorna will certainly hope that this return to the track will bring a new audience to be interested in a championship widely acclaimed by fans, but still confined to a niche. With Iannone et Petrucci, the derivatives of the series will offer two charismatic, appreciated and sometimes controversial Italian drivers. The operation Iannone, will be very interesting to follow also from a sporting point of view for the changes it could bring to the environment of the World SBK.
Andrea Iannone, during the four years of break, never strayed from motorcycling. He returns to the game by accepting a major challenge, but that doesn't seem to scare him, quite the contrary. “ I've been waiting for this moment for a long time, I'm finally back on the track, where I spent my life “, declared the former MotoGP rider through the official Go Eleven press release. “ I thank Gigi Dall'Igna, Paolo Ciabatti, Claudio Domenicali, Marco Zambenedetti and the entire Go Eleven team for their trust. With their support, I rediscovered the enthusiasm I had when I was a child. A special thank you also to the WorldSBK family for this opportunity. I'm excited ».
Ducati, at the highest level, has been a strong support for this return operation. It would have been a risk to reintegrate him into the Aruba Racing team, the official structure, both for the company and for the driver. With a private team like Go Eleven, he will be able to find his rhythm again with less pressure. In 2025, if Baptist stops (it is already 40 years old…) a Panigale V4 R will be available: everything seems written.
The official press release also included, and this is certainly no coincidence, the statement of Marco Zambenedetti, technical coordinator of Ducati Corse in Superbike… “ I'm happy that Andrea is coming back to Ducati. He is a talented driver who certainly still has a lot to bring to the sport » comments one of the right-hand men of Luigi Dall'Igna. " Certainly, after such a long period of stopping, it will be important to give yourself all the time you need to become one with the bike. He will have at his side an experienced team with the V4R who will support him as best as possible this season. I can't wait to see him on the track with all the other drivers ».
« Andrea Iannone made a courageous choice, to some it may seem crazy, but the right dose of madness and courage can lead to great feats »
The arrival of such a bulky pilot also poses a big challenge for Go Eleven. The structure has roots in Piedmont, but its technical base is in Romagna, a few kilometers from Borgo Panigale. Gianni Ramello is the owner. “ Since its inception, GoEleven has tried to achieve bigger and bigger goals and with the move to Ducati, we have come closer to our desire. Although we are a private team, we have achieved a victory with Michael Rinaldi, several podiums, we have won a Team Independent World Championship ».
« Now, we have to take another step and achieve another goal, a new challenge and this time it will definitely be more difficult. A driver like Andrea has not only demonstrated over the years that he is fast and truly talented, but he is also certainly a public figure of great interest. The challenge is all the more stimulating as we jumped at the opportunity to see Iannone return to a World Championship after 4 years of interruption and I can guarantee you that we will work hard to reach the positions that count ».
AlongsideAndrea Iannone, there will be Denis Sacchetti, a former driver with World Championship experience and who is the team manager of Go Eleven. “ The Maniac decided to get back into the game, after everything that happened and so much time away from racing. It's a courageous choice, to some it may seem crazy, but the right dose of madness and courage can lead to great feats. Why this bet? When we started talking to him, we were impressed by his determination, his courage and his desire to get back to doing what he loves, I saw in his eyes the desire and the need to race on a motorcycle. We know that it will not be easy, that at the very beginning we will have to suffer and work a lot and hard, but this awareness unites us even more and stimulates us more”.
