Sweet ending Sunday in Portimao, the hard work done throughout the weekend finally gave the good results. Andrea Iannone showed an extraordinary performance in Race 2, arriving just outside the podium. Opening his eyes in the morning in fifteenth position and reaching fourth at the end of the day is synonymous with growth, determination and three words that Iannone knows well: Never give up!
From the Warm Up, the potential of this last day in the Algarve was clear: yesterday’s used tyre, seven laps in a row between the high 40/41.0, arriving close to the Superpole times. Another step made in the first sector, which has thus become one of the strong points of this track. A few small further adjustments could still turn the weekend around.
Warm Up:
P 1 T. Razgatlioglu 1’40.116
P 2 A. Lowes + 0.197
P 3 N. Bulega + 0.344
…
P 7 A. Iannone + 0.570
The Superpole Race is the key to have a positive Sunday. Getting into the top nine means being able to aim for something ambitious in Race 2, recovering rows on the starting grid. Andrea passes three riders in front of him at the start and joins a Yamaha train, behind Aegerter and Rea. In the first laps he makes good use of the rear SCX, the softest solution, recovering another two places and moving into eighth position. A contact makes the Go Eleven rider go wide in the duel with Vierge for seventh place, leaving a space open for Aegerter. The last lap is one of those heart-stopping ones, many exchanges of positions that lead Andrea Iannone to cross the finish line in ninth position. Goal achieved, one point earned and Race 2 to be faced with a completely different spirit, with the awareness of starting in the slipstream of the group of the best.
P 1 T. Razgatlioglu 16’46.626
P 2 D. Petrucci + 2.980
P 3 A. Lowes + 3.251
…
P 9 A. Iannone + 9.823
In Race 2 Andrea Iannone faces a strong first lap, recovering positions on Aegerter and Vierge, the latter in turn 8, just before the famous “jump”. He reaches seventh place, on the starting straight he comes alongside Petrucci and overtakes him, thus becoming Best Independent. The battle with Bulega and Van der Mark is tough and fair, the number 29 attacks the Italian in turn three with a spectacular move, then suffers the counter-overtaking at the end of the lap. Together they catch up and pass the BMW rider, gaining fourth and fifth position respectively. At that moment Bulega makes a breakaway that brings him back into the fight for the podium, while Andrea defends the position well trying to get back on Lowes. The latter becomes the third rider on the podium with Bautista’s crash and manages well in the final stages, leaving no room for the battle with the yellow Ducati. Fourth position, best Independent rider, weekend definitely improving after the difficulties of Saturday.
Race 2:
P 1 T. Razgatlioglu 33’49.138
P 2 N. Bulega + 0.035
P 3 A. Lowes + 6.299
P 4 A. Iannone + 9.715
This concludes the Portimao race, which started with some difficulties already on Friday and was conditioned by a not perfect qualifying. With the improvements made on this day, it would have been difficult to ask for more. This year it seems that the solution is always found a little late, but let’s remember that many tracks are new, there is no basic set-up from the previous year, and Andrea needs to find the right references and the feeling with the tyres starting almost from scratch on each track. It doesn’t matter where you start or how difficult the road is, what matters is not giving up, working and believing, until the end!
Andrea Iannone (Rider): “Portimao is a technical and complex circuit, but I’m happy with the progression we had during the weekend, especially considering that I had no references for this track. Race 2 went well, something was missing to take out the maximum of our package, but we had a good pace. There are definitely some aspects that we can improve, we will work to continue making steps forward.”
