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It has been since his front row in Qatar that Andrea Iannone hadn’t started so far forward in a GP. At Phillip Island, the Suzuki rider finished 4th in qualifying, a result that makes him confident after his good performance a week ago in Japan.
“If I think about the last two races, I must say that we are working well - The Maniac says - I am satisfied with this result, but it is still not what I would like. On one hand I am disappointed that I am not farther forward, but on the other I am pleased with the recent progress.”
Does this mean that you have doubts about the race?
“I have a lot and to be honest I don’t know what to expect. I know that I can be fast in the first half, but from the 15th lap on we could have problems because of the deterioration of the rear tyre. We need to work on the electronics in order to manage the situation well.”
Did you do the most you could in qualifying?
“I wouldn’t say so because I kept losing the front on Stoner turn and I risked crashing. In fact, I didn’t improve my time on the second outing.”
However…
“Lapping under 1’29” on this track is not easy. I consider Rins to be a talented rider, but he struggled. After the tests in Aragón we improved, but my team and I are making the difference, going beyond the bike’s problems as much as possible.”
The improvement in recent races is undeniable. What is the cause?
“Both my crew chief and I know the bike better and we found a good base setting. It works here, but I don’t think it will be enough on other tracks. We will need to find more grip and work on the electronics.”
Who will your rivals be tomorrow?
“Marquez has a different pace than all the others, but besides him I think I can be at the level of the Yamahas and the Ducatis. As I said, I don’t know what will happen in the finale and I’ll have to figure out which tyre to use.”
If it rains?
“I struggled a lot here with the water. In the morning session I was not fast and I had bad riding sensations. I don’t know what happened, but it seemed like I was on a different bike than the one in Motegi, where I was fast. We’ll need to figure out the problem to solve it, but in dry conditions this is the best weekend yet for us.”
