MotoGP Rider Reacts To Andrea Iannone's Return After Ban - 'Emotional'

After a four-year hiatus due to a doping ban, Andrea Iannone makes an emotional return to MotoGP with VR46 Ducati.

Apr 14, 2024; Austin, TX, USA; A view of the riders as they go through turn one in the first lap of the MotoGP Grand Prix of The Americas at Circuit of The Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Andrea Iannone makes a spirited return to the racing circuit after a four-year hiatus. His comeback materialized with the VR46 Ducati team, an opportunity spurred on by Fabio Di Giannantonio's unexpected shoulder surgery after an injury at the Austrian Grand Prix in August this year.

Formerly a prominent figure in MotoGP with Aprilia, Iannone’s absence since 2019 was prompted by a doping ban due to an anabolic steroid found in his system—a ban that both the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) upheld.

Marco Bezzecchi, Iannone's current VR46 Ducati teammate, shared his feelings about the emotional resonance of Iannone's return. He explained to the media:

“I’m happy to have Andrea here inside the box with us.

“To be honest, yesterday I was a bit emotional when I saw him the first time because I know him, we have a very good relationship.

“But first of all I grew up watching him in the MotoGP.

“He has been always a fantastic rider, one of the top Italian riders of the current MotoGP era. So, very good to have him here. Hopefully I can learn something from him.”

Opening up on his return and revealing how it came about, Iannone explained to the media:

“I was on the flight for Jerez, for the last round of superbike, and when I arrived, I received a message from Vale.

“Vale said, ‘F**k Andrea, I called you but your telephone is off! When you see the message call back, please, it's important’

“I thought, ‘Vale called me, it's important, what happened?’

“So I called Vale and he said, ‘Andrea, I think it's really good if you come to replace Diggia and ride one more time the MotoGP bike’.

“Sincerely, I think he thought maybe I would hesitate, but I immediately said: ‘OK, perfect!’”

He added:

“Full of emotion. Sincerely, I didn't expect all this love from the paddock. This is impressive. So happy, happy to be here.

“First of all, I think it's important I have fun,” he said. “Sincerely, I don't know what to expect because it's a long time that I don't ride a MotoGP bike. I see the bikes change a lot.

“In case I'm lucky and the feeling is good from the beginning, I think it will be possible to have fun this weekend. But sincerely I don't have a target because I'm here to ride the bike, because it's the most powerful bike in the world and, for sure, it's really fun for me to ride.”

“In life, never surrender. And in a moment, everything can change when you don’t expect it.

“You think your life is like this, you try to organise everything and suddenly… destroy everything.”