Andrea Iannone’s WSBK debut: “I needed my team manager to explain the rules!”
Andrea♈ Iannone returns from four years away this weekﷺend at the WSBK '24 opener in Australia

💧Andrea Iannone needed a helpful reminder of World Superbikes’ rules ahea🐼d of his comeback from a four-year absence.
A dopꦬi𒉰ng ban has kept the ex-MotoGP rider sidelined since 2019.
Iannone, now aged 34, has joined GoEl🙈even Ducati in WSBK this year.
“I don’t know what to expect,” he said ahead of this weekend’s season-opener♈ in Phillip Is൲land.
“Everything is new for me.
“The format is completely different. I needed my team🌠 manager to explain෴ the rules to me!
“I am really excited.
“It’s a strang💃e feeling. But I am ꧅happy to be here.
“This is what I have loved most, all my life.”
Iannone ha✃s frequently been a part of test days with MotoGP Ducati riders over the past 😼year as he ramped up his comeback plans.
But increasing the speed during preseason ha🍸s provid🌜ed a greater gauge of his true potential, and there is some excitement over Iannone’s addition to the grid.
H♏e assessed his preparation: “Not bad. I ♍am a little bit surprised.
“The speeꦅd, in general, was high. We weren’t sure, at the beginning.
“In four years I never tried to ride a race bike.
“It’s a good preseason for us.”
What can Iannone realistically achieve after a 𒐪four-year abs♑ence? In a brand-new series?
🦄“We want to try to fight with the bes๊t riders,” he insisted.
“The first 10 positions is our goal, our target.
“When we arrive higher than 10th, it is perfect.
“Step by step, race by time, we need to improve and achie♛ve better𓄧 results.”
But sur🦋ely Iannone is targeting podiums - and perhaps more - at some stage this year?
He answered: “Realistic? It isಞ difficult𝔉 because I’m coming back.
“It’s a ꧅clear situation. We will try our best, for sure.”

James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to footbal♑l, to F1.