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The wedding took place yesterday morning: Andrea Iannone and the Go Eleven team tied the knot, with a Ducati Panigale V4 RS as the symbol of their union. The invitations to participate had been sent some time ago, but the official announcement only arrived this morning. Andrea will start again from SBK, with a private but experienced and professional team and on the best bike of the lot to rebuild his career. Team manager Denis Sacchetti couldn't be happier with the announcement: “it's a liberation - he smiles - We've waited a long time for this announcement, we would have liked to have done it sooner, but for a series of things we had to wait. We are very calm and we are living it well."
How complicated was it to sign with Iannone?
“It wasn't that difficult because Andrea turned up with a motivation, with a determination, with a desire for redemption that you don't even find in a 15-year-old boy who has yet to start his career. He wanted to get back into the game 110% and this implies a very important challenge, which we really like, it immediately intrigued us. Andrea conveyed his motivation to us just by looking into our eyes and therefore we found ourselves in harmony right away, the passion unites us. Finally he will be able to get his life back, go back to doing what he loves and I think he will have to enjoy the first test as much as possible without looking at the results and us with him. It's not easy to set up a project like this, Andrea is not a 'normal' rider, allow me the term, but a champion."
It is the revenge of the private teams: Iannone in Go Eleven in SBK, Marc Marquez in Gresini in MotoGP. Did this parallel come to mind?
“The Gresini team carried out an incomparable operation, hats off to them! Nobody would have ever expected a rider like Marquez to take such a step, it takes balls to accept, after so many years in HRC, to race for a satellite team. What I appreciate most is that he is not taking anyone with him, that's what makes a champion."
Andrea also had the balls to get back into the game in SBK after 4 years of inactivity, he could have retired.
“That's the beauty of it and that's what made me appreciate and accept this challenge. Someone like him could have stopped, he has his own life and doesn't need to race for money, instead he gets back into the game without excuses in a championship where there are very strong riders, people who have won World Championships. I am convinced that at the beginning he will need some time, but also that Andrea can go back to being what he was before and make us have fun, he has extra motivation. It's a question of personal redemption."
Have you ever had doubts about Iannone? He was out of action for 4 years due to a doping disqualification.
“Without going back to analyse everything that happened, he could have been out of action for just over a year and the substance found didn't help him to be faster. We are faced with an unprecedented situation, it is the return of a champion, as a Romagna native I would say like that of Pantani who returned to racing to seek redemption for himself. At the beginning you may be afraid thinking that he has been out of action for 4 years, but these doubts disappear when you talk to Andrea, because you understand his determination and desire for him. He doesn't come back to earn money, but to take back something of his life that had been taken away from him. He is very different from a rider who decides to stop and then return, it is something unprecedented. I think he is a character who will do good all-round for SBK."
How can he help the championship?
“He is one of the few riders capable of attracting the general public, like Valentino did. Today's riders in SBK, although very good, turn to the enthusiasts, so it will be important to have Andrea to broaden our panorama, to make ourselves known and perhaps attract new investors."
Does a name like his help a private team find new sponsors?
“We are convinced it is a plus for our partners and they are happy with this project. We also have to work on these aspects because a satellite can only carry on with sponsors, especially in SBK where there isn't much extra help. It's an opportunity that we must all know how to exploit: us, the other teams, Dorna, the TVs, the media."
How do your team's objectives change with the arrival of Iannone? You will be in the spotlight.
“We'll have to make ourselves look good, we'll go to the barber (laughs). Joking aside, I see this as a huge growth opportunity for Go Eleven. We started from nothing and this is another step we are taking in our racing career. If we talk about results instead, we shouldn't put pressure on ourselves, at the beginning we will have to suffer, so we will have to take things without stress, enjoying the moment. Then, step by step, we will see where we can go. I believe that Andrea can return to fight for the top positions, he has talent and desire, we will understand when. We will have to be able to help him and manage him in the right way, he will certainly entertain us."
When will the first test be and what bike will Iannone have next year?
"It will be October 31 and November 1 in Jerez, on which occasion he will use the 2023 Ducati Panigale V4 RS. Instead, starting from the January tests, he will have the 2024 bike, therefore virtually the same as those of Bautista and Bulega."
