MotoGP, Iannone: winning with Ducati is not a dream

The memory of Mugello still holds mixed feelings for Andrea Iannone. On one hand there is the joy of being on the podium in Italy, “it goes without saying how important it is”, on the other, the knowledge that he could have been a step or two higher.

“I do feel a bit of disappointment – he admits – I made a mistake at the start and I had to make up a lot of positions. The potential was much greater”.

However…
“However, I am pleased with the pace I managed to maintain, my speed. I put in the fastest lap of the race on the last lap.”

And the top speed record as well: 354.9 km/h. Isn’t that a bit much?
“It actually isn’t exactly slow, but I don’t know if it’s too fast. MotoGP is like that. You reach incredible speeds in a very short period of time and Ducati is the one with the best engine.”

Is it possible to describe what you feel at those speeds?
“We riders are used to it; compared to a normal person our eye and reflexes are trained. Of course you have to think quickly, because on the straight line it isn’t enough just to engage the gears: in the meantime we change the engine maps and strategies. There’s nothing for it really, speed is a part of this sport.”

And the Ducati is very fast, but not enough to win …
“There are still a lot of races left in the season and I’ll keep trying. As we said, that is one of our goals. In recent years we have made up a lot of ground on our rivals and now we are there with them. We just need to keep on working.”

Isn’t something missing?
“You can’t go looking for the win. You have to build it and to achieve it everything must be perfect. Both at Le Mans and at Mugello I had the chance to win, and I’m talking about a good chance. In the end there were two mistakes, a crash and a bad start, otherwise I would have been able to make a play for it.”

You aren’t too optimistic?
“To the contrary, they were real chances: the win is not a dream.”

Now Barcelona is coming up, a track where you have won, but where Ducati has struggled lately …
“This year many things have changed: the tyres, the electronics and our bike as well. I know that things have been difficult in recent years, but I hope that our work will pay off at Montmelò as well. I am looking at the present. I’m going with a positive attitude and then we’ll see where our level is in the practice sessions.”

Isn’t it strange to race for a manufacturer that you will be leaving at the end of the year?
“I’m a professional and that does not change anything. As I said, I am only thinking about the present and I want to finish this adventure in the best possible way. I have the will and the determination to finish this adventure at the highest level, also because Ducati has given me a lot over these past years. I will give it my all.”