Andrea Iannone concedes that despite labeling it as ‘the best comeback possible,’ he isn’t entirely satisfied with his results at the WorldSBK season-opener.
Andrea Iannone emerged as a standout performer during the Phillip Island WorldSBK round, securing a podium finish in his debut race. Iannone clinched third place, trailing Nicolo Bulega and Andrea Locatelli in Race 1, and followed it up with a solid fourth-place finish in Race 2.
Andrea Iannone’s near-flawless performance hit a snag in the Superpole Race, where an issue with his handlebar saw him plummet from second to 14th place.
However, undeterred by this setback and a subsequent red flag that turned Race 2 into a sprint-style challenge, Iannone displayed a remarkable resurgence.
Arguably the quickest rider in the early stages, he swiftly climbed from 14th to contend for a podium finish.
Yet, despite changing tires for the restart, the former MotoGP competitor couldn’t quite maintain his earlier pace, though he remained in the mix for a podium alongside Danilo Petrucci.
Reflecting on his performance, Iannone remarked, ‘On one hand, I’m frustrated by two mistakes that cost me the race. Nevertheless, it’s arguably the best comeback I could’ve made. Riding in the lead for numerous laps was incredible, yet I’m not entirely content.’
“It’s been four years since my last race, and to be leading right out of the gate felt great. However, I’m still a bit stiff, not quite at 100% as I’d like to be.
In my MotoGP days, I was always in the thick of it, but that now seems like a distant memory. This time, I faced issues with the engine braking settings.
“I found myself locked into maximum engine brake when I was trying to ease it down, but it refused to cooperate.” If you had told me I’d finish in P3 and P4, I would’ve been thrilled; it’s truly incredible.
“Yet, when you feel like you could have reached greater heights… this weekend seemed peculiar, with unforeseen twists at every corner.”
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