After four years, Andrea Iannone demonstrated this Saturday that his capabilities are intact. In the first race of the World Superbike Championship season at Phillip Island, the rider consistently stayed at the front, even leading at times, and finished in third place as the best performer from an independent team.
The rider from Team GoEleven was banned between 2019 and 2023 due to a doping case. Consequently, he not only had the challenging task of regaining competitive form but also of acquainting himself with a new championship – before his suspension, he competed in MotoGP, where the bikes are very different from those in WSBK.
Since the first test at the end of last year, Iannone showed signs that he could be competitive on the Ducati Panigale V4 R. However, racing is always different, and there was anticipation to see what he could achieve in races. His abilities are now evident.
At 34 years old, and after a long absence from the tracks, Iannone remains competitive and capable of contending for significant results. In the first race at Phillip Island, he finished in third place, 2.630s behind the winner Nicolò Bulega (Aruba.it Ducati) and only 0.350s behind the second-placed Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha). He beated two factory riders in direct fight: Alex Lowes (Kawasaki) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW), showing that he is one to watch in the fight for top positions in 2024.