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MotoGP, Iannone: Today it didn't seem like 2017

Andrea reveals: "During the Championship I have matured, staying calm and patient even when everything was going wrong"

MotoGP: Iannone: Today it didn't seem like 2017

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In the rains of Motegi, Andrea Iannone’s Suzuki shone. The Maniac had said it yesterday “The rain is our best condition” and in the end, the Italian rider was right, back in the top positions with a valuable fourth place finish. His performance on the Twin Ring is undoubtedly an encouraging one for the Hamamatsu-based Manufacturer’s rider in a 2017 marked with disappointments and struggles.”

“This time I can say that I am happy – the number 29 rider began – we worked well with the tam and I think the result was positive. I was able to ride most of the race close to the leaders. It didn’t feel like I was in 2017. It’s a pity about the tyre deterioration – he added – but the fourth place finish gives us confidence and we hope to keep going this way at Phillip Island too.”

With the performance in the land of the Rising Sun, Iannone leaves various troubles behind him, taking a breath of fresh air.

“It was complicated going from one by to another at the beginning of the season – he commented – Plus, for my engineer it was his first time with a four-cylinder bike. I was used to moving in a certain direction – he continued – that was different from the current one. In fact, Suzuki has a very different philosophy and concept of the bike than Ducati’s – he added – But this year we figured out how to move forward, making mistakes and struggling, but I am convinced that we will grow.”

In Motegi, Suzuki showed that it has improved and Andrea Iannone is aware of his own growth as a person.

In this 2017 season, I realised that you must never take decisions when you are too happy or angry – he joked – In any case, I am enthusiastic, because I showed that I am more mature than in past years. I stayed calm and patient, even when everything was going wrong – he added – aware of Suzuki’s values and my own, because neither one of us wanted to look bad.”

Now thoughts turn to Australia and Malaysia, where Iannone has already had the chance to test with the GSX-RR during the winter tests.

It is true that I have already ridden on those tracks, as I have in Valencia, but the Suzuki from the beginning of the year is different from the current one. On those occasions, it was love at first sight and I was really missing those sensations during the season – he concluded, joking – From next weekend we will try to figure out how to be faster than in the tests and we’ll see what we need to do.

Translated by Jonathan Blosser
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