MotoGP, Iannone tired but happy: "I did better than Bautista"

Bologna, November 4, 2024 – Very tired, but satisfied for having shown everyone that he is still competitive. Andrea Iannone he returned to Moto GP five years after his doping disqualification and did so in Malaysia as a replacement for Fabio By Giannantonio shoulder surgery in Rome, with mixed feelings, between joy and great tiredness because in these years of absence the bikes have evolved and require an uncommon physical effort, at least for those who are no longer used to it and are now part of the Superbike World Championship. However, in the dry lap Iannone he showed great speed, surprising even Jorge Martin who wrote him a loving message, and in general in the race he gave Alvaro 15 seconds Baptist, who was on stage at Sepang one year ago with a wild card to celebrate the world title among production bikes.  

Iannone: “My comparison was Alvaro, certainly not Bagnaia”

A weekend in progression for Iannone which had the goal of constantly improving lap times, succeeded, but with a big difference between a single lap and a race: fatigue. These prototypes require a lot of training and preparation, but this can only be done by driving them to understand their limits, their potential in braking and acceleration and, consequently, how to physically tame them. The analysis of Iannone starts right from here: “I finished really exhausted – his comment – ​​Let's say that the race was a survival and the goal was to finish it. The problem is basically in braking because I have no references and I don't know the limits of the bike. Physically I can't brake and I use the tires and braking very little. These are all things that you can't train in the gym but directly on the bike”. Iannone he was aware that without the tests he would have struggled physically and in fact he decided to relate to Alvaro Baptist, who last year competed in the Malaysian GP with a wild card: “I did fifteen seconds better than Alvaro and he had done four or five days of testing while I had done nothing. My yardstick can only be that and certainly not bagnaia”, Andrea's response. In any case, Iannone impressed his colleagues, especially Martin who complimented him: “He sent me a message, he wrote to me 'I saw the data, how you drive!'. Let's say that there were points where I was aligned with the others, especially in T2, while in others I was slower”, the analysis of the driver from Vasto. The race granted to Iannone does not imply a permanent return to Moto GP, his future is in Superbike where he can win and have more fun, but the overall balance is good: "I had fun, the data is clear on my speed and I showed that I can still go fast. I shouldn't have done anything stupid and brought the bike to the finish line". Now there would be a last appointment in Barcelona, ​​but the decision has not yet been made and also Iannone would reflect in case of a further proposal from Ducati and VR 46 to participate in the GP as a replacement for Valencia: "Me or Pirro in Barcelona? I don't know, we're not talking about it and I'm not the one who decides. If I get a proposal I'll think about it and decide".  

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