MotoGP race winner Andrea Iannone is pleased that Ducati’s efforts are bearing fruit – His relationship with the Ducati managers has never been broken
In the past two years, Ducati has celebrated titles in the MotoGP and Superbike World Championships. A good ten years ago, the picture was very different. The MotoGP project had hit rock bottom and Luigi Dall’Igna was faced with a major challenge, which he ultimately mastered. Andrea Iannone was part of Ducati’s MotoGP project at the time. The Italian is now back on a Ducati. We spoke to Iannone about Ducati’s development.
Iannone made his debut in the premier class in the 2013 MotoGP season and started as a team-mate of Ben Spies at Pramac. The Ducati Desmosedici was far behind the Japanese competition at the time, but things started to improve in 2014. Iannone switched to the Ducati works team in 2015 and in 2016 became the first Ducati rider since Casey Stoner in 2010 to win a Grand Prix.
MotoGP race victories are now nothing special for the manufacturer from Borgo Panigale, which won the manufacturers’ championship last year. Iannone is delighted that Ducati has finally reached the top.
“It is the result of long and hard work. Hard work always pays off,” “Ducati was very committed from 2013 onwards and tried to improve all areas. The current successes are the result of that. I am very happy for Ducati. “
Andrea Iannone maintained a good relationship with the Ducati managers
The contact with Luigi “Gigi” Dall’Igna and the other key figures never broke off. Even after switching to Suzuki in the 2017 MotoGP season, Iannone maintained a good relationship with the Ducati managers.
“The relationship with Ducati is good. I have never stopped being grateful to Ducati for the years we spent together. We faced a big challenge back then and secured our first victory together after a long time. I won’t forget that and I like to remember the great moments,” explained Iannone.
“But I can also remember the difficult moments. My relationship with Paolo (Ciabatti), Gigi and Claudio (Domenicali) is good,” reports the now 34-year-old Italian, who has been riding a Ducati Panigale V4R in the Superbike World Championship since this year and is therefore part of the Ducati family again.
Better races in the MotoGP or Superbike World Championship?
How is the Panigale different from the Desmosedici? “I haven’t ridden a Desmosedici for many years,” remarks Iannone. “Of course, the Desmosedici has more power and is faster. There are many differences. The brakes are also different. The carbon brakes work differently. But the Panigale is like a small GP bike.”
A lot has changed compared to Iannone’s time in MotoGP. Great progress has been made in the area of aerodynamics. Iannone confirms that the MotoGP bikes would convert significantly less power into propulsion without the aero fairings
“If you reduce the downforce, then you also have to reduce the power. Because without the help of aerodynamics, you can’t use as much power. Now you can probably get full power in second gear. But without the aerodynamic downforce, you could probably only use the full power from third gear onwards,” he muses.
While the MotoGP races have recently lost some of their excitement, the Superbike World Championship has been thrilling with great racing. Are the WSBK races better? “That’s for the fans to decide. I enjoy it. I enjoy the races,” commented Iannone diplomatically.
