Ducati’s Andrea Iannone clinched his maiden win in MotoGP, and not only that held off the challenges of his team-mate and the Movistar Yamaha’s machines to place the Ducati on the top step of the podium, for the first time since Casey Stoner did it six years ago.
But the Italian had a different strategy from that of his works Desmosedici team-mate, Andrea Dovizioso, as the race winner opted for the soft front and medium rear tyres, whereas most of the title challengers, including Dovizioso decided to race with the medium front and harder rear, and Iannone’s ‘strategy’ paid off.
He did not tell many of his decision to try out the soft tyre and after a successful test in Austria at the Red Bull Ring felt confident he could set the pace at the front, to save on fuel and fight for the win, and he did just that.
The somewhat controversial figure in the paddock described his first win, and the first for Ducati since 2010 as a ‘beautiful moment’ and was happy that his plan to get a good start and hold on to the front from pole position worked.
“It is a very beautiful moment for us, it is the first victory in the MotoGP class, after a very difficult first here in this class. I never gave up for this year and step by step improved with my bike. It is a unique feeling because I am very happy because Ducati have not won for many years and after Casey I come with this bike and have the victory and it is a special moment,” said Iannone, speaking after the race.
“Also I started with the soft tyre too. I decided from yesterday, but not to talk with the people [about it]. But I had a little bit more feeling with the softer one and my strategy is I wanted to start from the first position on the first corner and this was perfect because I wanted to manage the pace of the race, because if Jorge passed in front and pushed very strong, it is not possible to manage the tyres.
“I controlled eight or nine laps at the front and not pushed very hard and used less fuel for the first fifteen laps, and this is a very strong strategy because the last few laps the bike was very fast.”
