Romano Albesiano, Aprilia Racing Manager commented: “With Iannone, we have another highly talented and fast rider who is also demonstrating his value this season. His arrival is a sign of the Piaggio Group and Aprilia's growing commitment to the MotoGP programme, where our bike has already demonstrated that it can rely on a valid technical base. Now we need to stay focused on the 2018 season, beginning from the next GP of Barcelona. We have a strong team that has never stopped working hard. We want to keep growing and take the RS-GP where it deserves to be this season, which is still long, with Aleix and Scott, speaking of whom, I wish to thank publicly for his great professionalism and
Tag: Iannone
Iannone, Pirro, Dovizioso top opening session
Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was the quickest man in this morning’s Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley FP1 session, the Italian shooting to the top of the time sheets on his final run to go 0.550 clear. Ducati Team test rider Michele Pirro led for most of the session, he finished P2, with his teammate for this weekend Andrea Dovizioso making it a 1-2-3 for the Italians at their home Grand Prix. Source link
Iannone lights up the desert on Day 2
The final man in the fastest fifteen was early pacesetter in the battle for Rookie of the Year Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), who slotted into thirteenth despite a small crash. A 1:55.539 put the Japanese rider within a second of the top after 61 laps, around half a second quicker than fellow rookie and reigning Moto2™ World Champion Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS). Hafizh Syahrin, jumping in at the deep end with Monster Yamaha Tech 3 after getting signed up for the season after Buriram, was less than two tenths off Morbidelli, and just ahead of both Tom Lüthi (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) and Xavier Simeon (Reale Avintia Racing), who also debut this year. Source link
Iannone, Crutchlow, Dovi, Lorenzo: tight at the top in Jerez
Ducati, meanwhile, were continuing with their evaluations in order to pass on maximum information to engineers for during the break – with the GP18 due to appear first at the official Sepang Test in January. Dovizioso did 47 laps, Lorenzo 55. Crutchlow, on his part, has the new 2018 prototype Honda as he does some testing for HRC, and had two variations of the machine as well as his 2017 bike in the garage. He did 73 laps. The Repsol Honda Team are not present, instead choosing to use the test days next season. Movistar Yamaha MotoGP and Monster Yamaha Tech 3 also sit out Jerez, instead heading for a private test in Malaysia soon. Source link
Argentina: The good, the bad and the unlucky
The biggest news, other than the crash for reigning Champion Lorenzo, was undoubtedly the Ducati incident. On the last lap and both looking set for podium finishes, Iannone’s move on his teammate saw him slide out and take ‘DesmoDovi’ with him – as well as 36 points for the team. It was Iannone’s second DNF in succession and saw Dovizioso’s Qatar promise take a hit – although the older Italian heroically lifted up his bike and pushed it to the line, such was the short distance before the flag that the incident happened. It was the second finish on foot of the day in Argentina, after Adam Norrodin did the same after a last lap crash in Moto3™. Source link
Marquez? Rossi? Suzuki? The land of the rising sun awaits…
While compiling some commentary notes ahead of Iannone’s expected return to action in the Far East this weekend, I wondered where he’d be in the standings had he not thrown away so many golden opportunities to score big points. He’s crashed out of five races this year and in three of those he was lying in second place. Had he got to the chequered flag in the position he jumped off in Qatar, Argentina, Le Mans, Barcelona and Silverstone, then he’d have picked up 83-points. It’s all could’ve, would’ve, should’ve, but you feel Iannone would still be in with an outside shout of the title himself had things panned out differently. Source link
