WorldSBK: Andrea Iannone makes a shock comeback in 2024 with GoEleven Ducati

Andrea Iannone will replace Philipp Oettl next season and join the GoEleven Ducati team.

Andrea Iannone will return to professional motorcycle racing after four years and replace Philipp Oettl. Iannone will ride in his first motorcycle race since the 2019 Valencian Grand Prix, riding for Aprilia.

Iannone made a name for himself in the Grand Prix paddock, joining Pramac Racing in MotoGP in 2013. He would later join the factory team in 2015, finishing fifth in the standings, before switching to Suzuki. Iannone spent another two years at Suzuki when in 2019 he made the move to Aprilia

In his final season in MotoGP, Andrea Iannone finished 16^th, racing onboard the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini bike. He had a tough season with a best result of sixth position in Australia, finishing ahead of Andrea Dovizioso.

The Italian was banned from professional motorcycle racing for 18 months and disqualified from both the Malaysian and the Valencian Grand Prix. Iannone was replaced by Bradley Smith as he appealed the decision. On 10 November 2020, Iannone was given a four-year ban after losing his appeal.

He was found guilty of violating the World Anti-Doping Agency regulations on the prohibited substance of Drostanolone. At the time, Iannone claimed that it was from ingesting contaminated meat.

The 33-year-old will join Team GoEleven who are currently 10^th in the Team standings, behind Bonobo Action BMW. The sole rider this season, Philipp Oettl has had a consistent year so far and is 15^th in the standings. The German’s best result this season came in the opening round in Australia.

Iannone said: “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time, I’m finally back on track, where I spent my life. I thank Gigi Dall’Igna, Paolo Ciabatti, Claudio Domenicali, Marco Zambenedetti and the whole GoEleven team for their trust; with their support, I have rediscovered the enthusiasm I had as a child. Special thanks also to the WorldSBK family for the opportunity. I’m fully excited.”

GoEleven team manager, Denis Sacchetti, added: “We have worked hard to make this dream real; we have wanted to shout it out to the world for some time now, but creating such an important project is not easy and must be structured carefully.

“‘The Maniac’ has decided to get back into the game, it’s not for everyone, it takes guts after everything that has happened and so much time away from racing. It is a courageous choice, for some it may seem crazy, but the right amount of madness and courage can lead to great feats.

“Why this bet? When we started talking to him, we were impressed by his determination, grit and desire to go back doing what he loves.

“I saw in his eyes the desire and need to race a motorbike, like a child who wants to go back playing and everything that happens around him is out of his mind, because he just wants to go back playing, he has no other thoughts at that moment.

“We know that it won’t be easy, that at the beginning we will have to suffer and work a lot and work hard, but this awareness unites us even more and stimulates us further.

“I want to thank Gianni Ramello for immediately accepting this opportunity, a particular thank you also goes to Paolo Ciabatti, Gigi Dall’Igna, Claudio Domenicali and Marco Zambenedetti for the support they are giving to this project and obviously thanks to Andrea Iannone for the trust in our team!

“Last but not least, heartfelt thanks to all our sponsors who allow us to take on increasingly important challenges every day, it is only thanks to their passion that it is possible to face new adventures!”

For more WorldSBK content:

Image credit: motogp.com