Race 1 at Jerez ended one step away from the podium for Andrea Iannone. After holding off the pressure from Alex Lowes throughout the first phase of the race, the rider from Vasto was also unable to do the same with a scrappy Alvaro Bautista, who climbed through the field like a fury from seventh place on the grid.
"It was clear even before the start that I would be fighting for the podium with Alvaro and Alex Lowes. Alex was stronger in the first ten laps, I tried to manage the situation and he always stayed behind me. On the other hand, we know that Alvaro is more competitive in the second part of the race. Honestly, I had more speed than him, but when I tried to push in the right turns I lost the front and I couldn't do it anymore, because I would have run out of tyres in three laps - stated Andrea - It's a problem due to the lack of load on the front. We know that by loading it more I would go better, but I would lose so much in braking and I can't afford that. Anyway, we will try to improve something for tomorrow. I'm stronger than Alvaro in braking and there I recover on him, but not enough because he has more in acceleration: when he gets the bike back up he accelerates like a demon. We'll see. With a step forward, I think we can fight with him for the podium and we'll try."
What did Iannone think when he found himself in a fight with Toprak after the latter's accusations against him in Estoril?
"Honestly, I have nothing to say to him about Estoril. Maybe he is the one who has to explain something to me. I'm joking: I'm not angry. It's not my problem, because I'm the 'clean one.' I hope he is not in difficulty with me, because I did my race. Just like today," he replied, "I braked a little earlier and he braked a little later. Racing is always racing. He won because he was the strongest this year. When you win a race it is because you are faster than the others. He is a champion and he knows this well. It's not Christmas and you don't give presents to anyone."
He might not have made the podium, but the Go Eleven rider can still be satisfied with fourth place.
"Yes, it's satisfactory. But, as always, I want more. I know what I can achieve and when I am behind a factory rider I see where we lose, what we need, because I am an experienced rider and having been a factory rider in MotoGP I know what the difference is. Anyway, this is what we have and I'm taking advantage of this package 100 percent thanks to my team and Ducati, which I thank for their work this weekend," he said. "We know our potential and that's why sometimes I'm not happy with a fourth, fifth or sixth place. It's a little frustrating and disheartening to know that we can do more, but not be able to express our best all the time. It's also true that racing is like that, and I returned to racing last year after so many years. It's not easy to fit all the pieces in the right place. If I still have the opportunity to race in the future and something more interesting comes up, I will welcome it. I think I still have the skills to be able to excel, to go very strong and make a difference."
Going back to today, for that matter, the situation concerning his future is still not very clear.
"The plan is always the same: we are waiting. We need something interesting and Ca' Del Bosco is the best option I have right now. I sent them my resume because they need a driver for the tractor at harvest time and I told them I would go!" he said, downplaying the situation with a joke.
Speaking instead about the chances of seeing him race at Portimao as a replacement for Marc Marquez, he said, "I don't know. At the moment it's not an option and I haven't talked about it with anyone. I just joked with Rigamonti and 'Bistecca' that I couldn't go to Australia because of the clash with Jerez. I honestly don't think about it right now, because I have a bigger problem, which is my future. A deadline? I don't know. I think we will try to understand the situation better after this week, but at the moment there is no news for next year."