Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven) and the rest of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship grid now look ahead to the season-opening Australian Round set to kick off this weekend. Iannone is looking forward to his second WorldSBK campaign and challenging for the Best Independent Rider spot in which he will face tough competition from Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team), who claimed that honour in 2024. ‘Petrux’ has had a quite fast pre-season as well and there was little to separate the two Italians on the final day of testing at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.

From Iannone’s GoEleven Ducati camp, while it has been an offseason of hard work for both he and his team, they enjoy the luxury of not implementing major mechanical changes to the bike. 2025 will only be Iannone’s second season in WorldSBK, he has proven that he can win races in WorldSBK as he did in 2024 in Aragon’s Race 1. These factors have meant that while poor weather in Jerez, Portimao, and now in the final session in Australia, they have had comparatively less ground to cover in their testing regimen. Iannone seems happy with where he and the team have got their package, even going as far as to say that he dreams of being in the fight for the top two positions in the Riders’ Championship.

“It has not been a bad start, P2 today, P2 yesterday, like I said before I think we will start in good shape,” said Iannone. “It has been a difficult winter because the weather has not been on our side but, in any case, this is the same for everybody and we will try to make the most of what time we have had. I think I’ve done well this pre-season, at Jerez I also finished second like here, so maybe my dream should be that I can finish second in the Championship; it’s not bad for a private team, a private rider, maybe second this year will be our lucky number. We need to try to improve and get the best results possible.”

Petrucci enjoys many of these same soft factors like a lack of major changes to the bike or his team, and in many ways this may prove a benefit for the defending Best Independent Rider, however he was quick to emphasise the chaotic nature of this season’s wide distribution of talent around the grid, and how that may pose a threat to his Top Independent title defence with so many Independent riders on track.

Reflecting on his test and explaining the battle he expects to see during the Australian Round, Petrucci said: “It was good, it’s been a good test. From Monday, I found a good feeling with the bike so I’m feeling positive for the weekend. The battle is tight. There are seven or eight riders who can fight for the podium. I think Bulega has something more at this moment but, regarding the top ten riders, I think all of them can stand on the podium. I’m feeling good with the bike. I can push when I want, and this is a good feeling for the weekend.”

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