Toprak Razgatlioglu praises “normal” Andrea Iannone after first WorldSBK victory
“He’s riding very well because he’s always riding very crazy — this time he’s riding very calm, normal”.
Andrea Iannone’s first WorldSBK victory at Aragon came despite a recent shoulder injury picked up at Cremona, made worse by an FP3 crash on Saturday morning at the Spanish track, but it was a ride which impressed some Iannone’s rivals.
2021 Superbike World Champion and current WorldSBK points leader Toprak Razgatlioglu felt that Iannone’s win came about thanks to a change in approach.
“I’m very happy for him [Iannone],” Razgatlioglu told WorldSBK.com, “because he did an incredible job especially in the last laps, and he’s riding very well [in Aragon Race 1] because he’s always riding very crazy — this time he’s riding very calm, normal, and last laps he did a really good pace and he won the race.
“This is a really good job, and I’m happy for him. I tried my best. [...] Congratulations to Iannone, he did an incredible job.”
Bautista: Iannone’s win a “matter of time”
Alvaro Bautista admitted to being unsurprised by the victory of Iannone, a rider with whom Bautista has a long history.
“I remember a battle with [Andrea] Iannone in China in 2005,” said Bautista.
“I remember that battle like it was yesterday. I’m happy for him because he’s very fast, he showed his potential also in MotoGP.
“It was not a surprise for me [that Iannone won], because I knew that he’s fast and he can win a race, especially after the start of the season that he was very competitive in all the races.
“It was just that it was a matter of time about his first victory.”
Iannone’s victory “a big emotion” for Go Eleven team boss
For the Go Eleven Ducati team, Iannone’s win was a first victory in WorldSBK since the 2020 Aragon Round when Michael Ruben Rinaldi won, a victory which ensured his progression to the factory Ducati team in 2021.
“It’s a big emotion for me,” Go Eleven team manager Denis Sacchetti told WorldSBK.com following Iannone’s Race 1 success.
“It was a fantastic result, it’s incredible. I think we did an incredible job, all the mechanical staff and Andrea.
“I’m really proud so thanks to all my staff and Andrea, because we bet on him this year. I’m so happy.
“I think the key is all with trust in the project. Never give up and work together to improve step by step in every area.
“The people always make the difference, so it’s important to get the best from people involved in the project.”
