Iannone: “My time in MotoGP is up, I would like the World Championship in SBK”

Andrea Iannone is one of the most talked about riders in the World Superbike paddock, partly because of his return to racing after a forced four-year break and partly because of the market that has seen him as a protagonist in light of the excellent results obtained right from the start. The production-derived series have represented the beginning of a new chapter for the rider from Vasto, who however has never been distanced (at least in thought) from MotoGP with a view to 2025.

Back to running this year, The Maniac is having a very respectable debut season with the Goeleven team, a private team that belongs to Ducati. As the championship heads towards its second half of the year, Iannone told colleagues that GPOne in an exclusive interview how happy his return makes him: “Racing has always made me feel very good and represents 90% of my life”.

“They gave me dreams and at the same time made me know what hard work is, as well as perseverance and commitment. Personally, I am happy with my life and we hope to continue to compete at a high level. If we are here, it is because we have to believe in it”, says Iannone. Pure spirit of an athlete, who gets up after difficulties and starts from scratch.

“For me this is a zero year. We started well, then on some tracks there were some difficulties but we still managed to bring home some results. If I look at the Championship, after all these years out, I’m happy. I feel like I’m still a fast driver and for this very reason, in the second part of the Championship, we aim to grow and do our best”.

Growing as a rider, taking steps forward and pushing yourself further. What is Andrea Iannone’s dream? “There are still many things missing because in the end I am a dreamer. It is not easy, but I would like to win a World Championship. Obviously you have to put many things together, being in the right place at the right time and being part of a project. But all of this needs to be built and that is what I will try to do”.

“I work day and night at home, then we’ll see what to do next year. I’ll definitely have to make some moves in terms of my general reorganization, trying to make a team that can help me try to win a SBK World Championship in the future. I know I can still have my say and give a lot. The fundamental thing, however, is to be part of a project and I’ve already started. This year I’ve understood many things, aware of where I am. We need to fit all the pieces together, perhaps taking figures that aren’t there today”, explains the pilot from Vasto.

The explosive return has brought Iannone to be at the center of the riders’ market, not only in Superbike, but also in MotoGP, where he has also been linked to the Pramac team. But what will the Abruzzese do in 2025? “I don’t know. It’s still all very open and I left this discussion for last. Here (in Portimao, ed.) we will start talking to Goeleven, but that is not my only option. I am also talking to some manufacturers and we need to understand why 2025 will be a fundamental year given that in 2026 everything will be open. I need to understand how important I can be for the future. Did Honda contact me? I don’t want to deny or confirm. It is obvious that if you are in a paddock you talk to many. I have given priority to one situation, that is, going to an official team”.

The first choice of the official team was Ducati, however it seems that Alvaro Bautista will remain in the Aruba team for another year: “There was Ducati, but that wasn’t the case. So let’s see what will happen since I’m talking to everyone. At home I will have to understand many things, also comparing myself with Ducati to understand how important I can be for them, evaluating carefully what is best to do. I certainly have clear ideas: maybe I will stay in Ducati forever or I will evaluate something else. My priority was Ducati, I waited and even left a long time, in fact I had an important choice on the table, but I didn’t feel like making it. I have always made the decisions and we will see what will happen”.

Andrea Iannone, Team Go Eleven

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“Ducati has a factory team with Cecconi and Casolari. They have won two world championships, they have two strong riders and we need to understand. I think it is right and reasonable what they have today as well as the choices made. We need to look to the future, namely 2026-2027. Those are the years in which I can try to win a world championship”, explained a realistic Andrea Iannone, who also confirmed the interest from Paolo Campinoti.

“Paolo has and had a lot of desire, but things have to make sense because doing a test just for the sake of it would have been of little use,” explains the rider from Vasto speaking of a hypothetical Pramac test. “Everyone can fantasize, but as I’ve already said, I’m not thinking about MotoGP. I think my time is up in MotoGP: not so much for whether I could have been fast or not, but because when you pass a certain age threshold, your time there is over.”