Twice during his career Andrea Iannone has climbed to the top step of the podium in Barcelona. The first visit came in 2009 when he won the 125cc race, his third victory of the year and his last in the lightweight class. He would have to wait till 2012 to again visit the rostrum, winning the Moto2™ race that year. He hasn’t been able to get back on the podium since joining the blue ribbon class, but his results have steadily improved year on year. He failed to finish the MotoGP™ race in 2013 but then went on to take ninth the following season before achieving a credible fourth in 2015. If the improvements continue 2016 could be a very good year in Barcelona for Iannone.
Iannone has shown the pace needed to challenge for the podium in almost every race of 2016, but crashes or issues have always hurt his chances. In Mugello the issue came early, a clutch problem sending him backwards off the line. Hopefully no such issues will arise at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya and allow Iannone to deliver on his full potential. With a rough start to the year behind him, Iannone is steadily climbing up the world championship table and holds ninth overall on the eve of the Catalan GP, a podium could move him to inside the top six.
Andrea Iannone: “This weekend I want to continue our Mugello form at Barcelona, because it’s a track I like so much and I won a race here in Moto2 in 2012. In MotoGP however in the last 3 or 4 years we have struggled a bit, but this year the situation is completely different because the tyres and the electronics have changed. My Desmosedici GP has shown itself to be a really competitive bike, and I hope it will be a great weekend for us.”