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Sometimes they come back, one could really say so this time. It seemed something unthinkable, but instead it is all true. As anticipated in recent weeks, Andrea Iannone will race in Sepang with the Ducati GP23 of the Pertamina VR46 team, replacing Fabio Di Giannantonio.
In fact, the Roman rider will have to undergo shoulder surgery, so VR46 thought of an exceptional replacement, namely The Maniac, who returns to ride a MotoGP bike after a good five years of abstinence: "I am very happy to confirm that Andrea will race with our colors on the Ducati Desmosedici GP," said Uccio. "First of all, Andrea has shown to be in great shape, he closed the WorldSBK season on a high and has always remained close to Ducati. He is a great friend of the VR46 family, both mine and Vale’s. We are very happy to welcome him to the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team and to see him back on a MotoGP bike; it’s a really great story! At the same time, we all wish Fabio the best of luck as he will undergo shoulder surgery this week and we can’t wait to see him back on track in 2025”.
Echoing his words is Iannone: "Riding the world champion bike is exciting. MotoGP is the most technological and high-performance bike, I'm honored that they thought of me and I felt like I had to say yes to this opportunity immediately as soon as it was offered to me. The challenge is certainly crazy, complex and demanding, as I haven't ridden a bike in this category for years and without having done tests or similar. I'm excited to be able to work with Ducati and the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team, both for the very high level and for the friendship since years. I thank Valentino Rossi, Alessio Salucci, Pablo Nieto, Gigi Dall'Igna, Claudio Domenicali and Mauro Grassilli.”
