Andrea Iannone is suspended by the World Anti-Doping Agency until December 2023 after testing positive for drostanolone at the end of 2019. Given this situation, the Italian rider has always shown his desire to resume competition and Aprilia also maintained their trust in him.
The Italian manufacturer will thus include Iannone in an event called Aprilia Pro Experience, scheduled for May 8, where amateur riders will receive advice from professionals. Max Biaggi, Valentino Rossi ‘s old rival and later two-time WorldSBK title winner with Aprilia, and Lorenzo Savadori, the brand’s MotoGP test rider and starter last season, will also play this role during the event.
At the Misano circuit, Iannone and his two compatriots will each supervise four participants to advise them, show them the best paths and accompany them on track during four 20-minute sessions with Aprilia RSV4 Factory. Aleix Espargaró and Maverick Viñales will also participate in the day, to give their advice and share their experience in MotoGP.
With this event, Aprilia demonstrates that the links with Andrea Iannone are still present, although the Italian maintains an ambivalent agreement with the world of motorcycling.
Last year, the Italian driver confessed to Corriere della Sera that the televised races “ [reopened] a wound that will probably never heal”, while expressing the desire to resume competition in 2024 when the ban ends.
“I will find my life again, the life of a pilot,” said Andrea Iannone. “Otherwise, I would have already established other activities, like a school, for example. The more time passes, the more I want to return,” he added.
For most of 2020, Aprilia awaited a decision from the Court of Arbitration for Sport on whether Iannone’s suspension would be upheld. Given this situation, Bradley Smith and Lorenzo Savadori, the brand’s test drivers, took over until the hiring of Maverick Viñales last summer.
