The calendar gods are sometimes teasing! Andrea Iannone tested positive for drostanolone propionate during the 2019 Malaysian Grand Prix, which took place from November 1-3. Five years later, it is in Sepang, Malaysia, that the Italian will make his official return to the handlebars of a MotoGP… the weekend of November 1st to 3rd. The end of a long road, punctuated by a sanction on appeal which changed the initial suspension from 18 months to four years. Iannone was able to return to competition this year, achieving good performances in World Superbike, but it is truly this freelance in MotoGP replacing Fabio Di Giannantonio which represents a first summit since the return of the “Maniac”.
For his first appearance in the fluorescent colors of the VR46 team, Iannone was obviously one of the attractions of Thursday in Malaysia. The native of Vasto did not hide his emotion at the idea of getting back on a MotoGP machine, having participated in the Malaysian and Valencia Grands Prix in 2019, from which he was then retroactively disqualified.
“Everything is strange, but really very good at the same time”he told the official MotoGP website. “Honestly, I don’t have many words because I am filled with emotions. I'm happy to be here, I saw a lot of people again. Tomorrow I'm finally going to get on the bike for the first time, and it might be strange because bikes have changed a lot, but I'm curious. »
Hello, it's Valentino Rossi
This return took place quite quickly, Andrea Iannone having been called by the boss of the team himself, Valentino Rossi! The Doctor, however, had to wait a bit, because during his first attempt, he did not get Iannone on the line, for a very simple reason… he was on a plane!
“Valentino called me but I was on the plane so my phone didn’t ring. When I arrived in Jerez, I turned on my phone and saw a message from Valentino asking me to call him back. I immediately did so, and he asked me if I wanted to replace Di Giannantonio for the last two rounds of the season. I didn't need a second to think, I immediately said yes! It's a wonderful story in the end, I want to thank Valentino, Uccio, the whole MotoGP and Ducati family for this opportunity. When you have a passion for motorcycling and you have the opportunity to ride the best motorcycles in the world, it's incredible. »
Let's imagine that the story will be even more magnificent this Friday, when Andrea Iannone will be able to complete his story and get back on a machine from the MotoGP peloton as part of official free practice…
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