Emotional Andrea Iannone details his first test as a WorldSBK rider

Andrea Iannone’s four-year doping ban will allow him to return to professional motorcycle racing in 2024, and he has signed with GoEleven Ducati in WorldSBK.

On Tuesday at the Jerez test, he completed 26 laps on the Panigale V4 R.

Iannone’s best lap time was 1’41.922s - making him 11th-fastest on Tuesday - but rain ruined the afternoon session.

He wore a message saying “I’m back” on his helmet and finished six-tenths behind Nicolo Bulega, the nearest Ducati to him.

Iannone reacted to his return: “I’m really happy. I exited the pitlane to ride a race bike and this is a really good feeling for me. 

“Unfortunately for the weather but, in any case, I felt very comfortable with everybody, in the paddock and especially in the team. 

“Here in the garage, the feeling is really good. I think today is a little bit of everything, a bit confusing! 

“After a long time, I’ve come back and the feeling with the bike is really good. 

“At Jerez, on the first lap, I thought ‘wow, one more time I’m at this track!’. The first five laps were just fun.”

Iannone will test on Wednesday too: “We will decide on our plan later but it’s good if we ride. 

“We only have 10 days of testing and so maybe we don’t use one because I need track time in the dry. 

“We’ll see the weather and the condition of the track when I arrive. The most important thing right now is that we are here, and we have the possibility to ride. This is the best feeling ever.”