Iannone counts on luck as Suzuki resurgence continues

Andrea Iannone concedes good fortune fell on him during the Jerez MotoGP race as he claimed his first back-to-back premier class podiums by taking third place for Suzuki.

Iannone counts on luck as Suzuki resurgence continues

Andrea Iannone concedes good fortune fell on him during the Jerez MotoGP race as he claimed his first back-to-back premier class podiums by taking third place for Suzuki.

The Italian rider profited from the three-way crash between Ducati duo Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo plus Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa to find himself in the fight for the podium. Having taken third place last time out in the United States, Iannone says he’s found a happier setup with the “all new” 2018 Suzuki GSX-RR and despite a last-minute switch to hard Michelin tyres he fought off Pramac Ducati’s Danilo Petrucci to secure the final spot on the podium.

“I think we are lucky, for sure, but in any case, for the weekend I think we show a really good potential,” Iannone said. “We switched from medium one to hard and I think it is not a really good decision because for all the race I struggle a lot on the acceleration point.

“I have a lot of speed but I am could not reduce the speed very well. I tried my best for all the race and pushed really hard. At the end, we take this podium for sure with luck, despite the misfortune for Dani, Dovi and Jorge.”

After positive steps made during pre-season testing with Suzuki, with the 2018 bike giving him a more consistent front-end feel compared to last year, the Italian rider believes the rewards are clear from his consecutive podiums finishes.

“I’m really happy about this result,” he said. “This second podium in a row for me with Suzuki. For sure is a really good moment for us. I leave this moment for this period with a smile.

“I want to continue to improve with Suzuki. I’m not really happy about third position as I want recover the gap from the best rider. This is my target. For me and Suzuki we must fight for it.”

With a number of front-running rivals crashing out in Spain, Iannone has jumped up to fourth place in the MotoGP riders’ standings while he is now enjoying his best start to a season since 2015 with Ducati.

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