Iannone hoping to make up lost ground

Hoping to return to the podium this weekend at the Gran Premi Cinzano de Catalunya Italian 125cc rider Andrea Iannone wants to push his way back into the title fight after losing ground in recent weeks.

A training accident, on the weekend in between the Mugello race at round five and this weekend in Barcelona, has not helped his cause but having emerged as a racewinner last year and then having started 2009 in good form Iannone wants to get back amongst the frontrunners in the sixth race of the year.

“Last Saturday I was training with a motocross bike and I crashed. I hurt my knee a little bit but I’m ok physically in general. I need to fight as hard as I can now to make up the gap to Bradley Smith at the top of the standings and that will not be easy,” he said.

“We need to stay focussed and just try not to make any more mistakes, and by that I mean myself and the team. I like the Catalunya circuit, more or less like most tracks. We have to work hard and go into the race with the best set-up possible.”

Also asked about the progress being made by his Ongetta Team I.S.P.A colleague Jonas Folger in his first full season in the World Championship, Iannone responded, “Jonas has a good technical crew and a good chief mechanic. He is using my data from last year and whenever I can I try to help him. He has a good chance to do well. I think he could do some more work in the box but he is a good rider.”