The ex-MotoGP riꦫder’s four-year ban for doping will expire at the end of this year, and he will return in WorldSBK in 2024 representing GoEleven Ducati.

Despite his lengthy absence, the I♏talian impressed by going fifth-fastest and clocking 1’39.335s.

Team manager Denis Sacchetti reacted: “We are really happy with ♌Andrea, with the te🍰st, with the team, everything.

“The result is completely unexpected. Really fa﷽st…

“It is fantastic to see him with a smile after many years without r🐽iding a race bike.

“To be so fast, so determined…

“He has sent a really strong message to his opponents, 🥀to the whole motorsport world.

“He was really, really𒈔 fast. The riders here are from a race weekend, they finished the cha♒mpionship.

“He’s at the top of his performance. For the first t♉ime in four years at this track… incredible.

“The lap time is incredible. S♍oft tyres, even with hard tyres…

“What is imp💫ortant is ෴the feeling with the bike. He was happy with the bike. It was easy.

“It ❀was a good feeling, and a good emotion for everyone in the whole team.”

Sacchetti was questioned on how far♐ Iannone can realistically go next season.

“It’s difficult to say now because it is early to 📖say something,” he said with a ꦓknowing smile.

“I think today we can say ‘he is there’.

“He can be really competitive from the beginning.

“One lap is different to 20 laps consecutively. Today he was tired🌞 after 70 laps.

“We are positive for the season, really positive. We will enjoy th𝔉is✤ moment.”

Iannone’s long absence from competitive racing mꦬeans he lacks recent experience in the box, a possible challenge for the team around him.

“It was difficult in the b🔜eginning to have a programme of what to do,” Sacchetti said.

“Never in histor🅰y has a rider, after four years out…

“So it was difficult to have a progr꧙amme or to know what🍌 to do.

“He ☂knows well, what he needs🐻, what he has to do, what he wants.

🦩“Andrea has helped the team to understand the way tꦬo work with him.

“The sꦺupport from Ducati is pretty good. We thank everyone.”

Iannone, in his first-twoꦰ days wearing GoEleven leathers, shocked everybody inside his garage and around the paddock with his speed.

“We started this morning just ro ride, t💮𒅌o understand the economy of the bike, then step-by-step to improve his feeling,” Sacchetti said.

“We didn’t touch the bike🥃. The work was just from him, to understand the bike and the tyres.”