Ducati says Andrea Iannone’s comeback outing on this weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix is a reward for what he missed in MotoGP throughout his four-year ban from competitors.
The Borgo Panigale producer desires Iannone to only have enjoyable and never put any stress on himself as he joins the VR46 group on a GP23 bike at Sepang, substituting for Fabio di Giannantonio at VR46.
As soon as it turned clear that 26-year-old Di Giannantonio can be skipping the ultimate two races of the yr to bear a surgical procedure on the shoulder he broke within the Austrian Grand Prix, each Ducati and VR46 determined that one of the best different can be to switch him with Iannone in Malaysia.
The Italian has a protracted relationship with Ducati, having raced for the marque for 4 seasons between 2013-16 – together with two years on the manufacturing facility group alongside Andrea Dovizioso.
He was part of Aprilia’s MotoGP programme in 2019 when he was examined constructive for traces of Drostanolone, an anabolic steroid current on the checklist of prohibited substances of the World Anti-Doping Company.
He was subsequently banned from lively competitors for 4 years and it was solely at the start of 2024 that he may race competitively once more, as he joined the World Superbike Championship with Go Eleven Ducati.
Andrea Iannone, Staff VR46
Photograph by: Media VR46
Ducati bosses are conscious that MotoGP has modified quite a bit since Iannone final raced within the premier class and wish the one-time grand prix winner to not take issues severely as he groups up with Marco Bezzecchi at Valentino Rossi’s squad.
“What we ask of Andrea is that he has enjoyable,” Ducati CEO Gigi Dall’Igna instructed Motorsport.com. “By way of efficiency, we will not ask something of somebody who hasn’t been on a grand prix bike for thus lengthy, with the tyres so totally different to what he is aware of, and with out having performed a take a look at.
“This should be a reward for every thing he hasn’t been capable of do in the previous few years.”
Mauro Grassilli, Ducati’s sporting director, added: “We imagine he can placed on a present.”
VR46 group supervisor Pablo Nieto echoed the feedback of Ducati’s administration, saying that the group can’t count on him to be on par with rivals on account of an absence of expertise on modern MotoGP equipment.
Nevertheless, Nieto added that there are not any doubts about simply how gifted the 35-year-old is, having scored 5 podiums and a victory in WSBK this yr regardless of being on a satellite tv for pc bike.
Andrea Iannone, Staff Go Eleven
Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Pictures
“What we hope is that Andrea enjoys it. On the identical time, we all know it is going to be difficult for him, as a result of he hasn’t performed any earlier testing,” mentioned Neito.
“We all know that he has an unbelievable expertise, he has already proven prior to now that he’s a really quick rider.”
Though Di Giannantonio is because of miss the ultimate two rounds of the season, the assertion asserting Iannone’s return made it clear that he can be using for VR46 on the Malaysia GP solely.
Motorsport.com understands that Ducati’s take a look at rider Michele Pirro will step in at VR46 on the last race of the season, the venue for which remains in doubt following severe flooding in Valencia.