Italian pilot Andrea Iannone of Aprilia has been suspended for testing positive for steroid doping control. MotoGP ends the year with bad news and great uncertainty

Italian MotoGP rider Andrea Iannone (Aprilia) has been provisionally suspended by the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) by testing positive for a prohibited substance in the urine sample that the World Anti-Doping Agency (AMA) took in the last Malaysian Grand Prix, in November of this year.

Iannone, 30 and fellow Aleix Espargaró in the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini, tested positive for an unspecified substance in the group of exogenous anabolic androgenic steroids (androstenediol, androstenedione or androsterone) in the sample that the AMA took in Sepang el on November 3.

The Italian, who has already been informed by the FIM of his provisional sanction, may not participate in any event or competition until the case is resolved. Despite not giving more information, the FIM said that the pilot can request the analysis of the urine sample B that was taken, as well as request the lifting of his provisional suspension.

In 2019, Vasto faced his seventh World Championship in MotoGP and finished the championship at 16th position, the worst of his career in the queen category and adding only 43 points. His best career was that of Australia, with a sixth position.

In the absence of knowing the explanation of the protagonist and that the appropriate steps are taken to know if there is finally a sanction or not, the damage to his image is already done and, as a consequence, also the splash to his sponsors. In addition to the MotoGP and Aprilia competition itself, the most affected, in its social networks you can see constant appearances of the American firms Under Armor and Tommy Hilfiger. The HJC helmet company, Virgin Radio (in Italy), Apparel Racing – the MotoGP merchandising company -, the Spidi motorcycle clothing company, and the Dell’Orto and injection systems also support his career.

Crutchlow’s criticism

In March 2018, another MotoGP grid driver, the British Cal Crutchlow, criticized the anti-doping fight in the highest category of motorcycling. “The control system is crap. How can you randomly choose three pilots within a control group? And they are controlled more than the others. I have been in that control group. And they made me a control in 365 days. And the following year, I wasn’t there and they also made me a check. And in the last two years, they haven’t done me any control, ” he denounced in an interview with ‘Crash’.

“I think everyone should be in the control group, everyone should enter their location data in the ADAMS system. I will tell you what the problem is: they are lazy bastards and do not want the trouble of having to ‘log in’ every day, ” Crutchlow continued, who denied that in MotoGP there were problems with livelihoods such as steroids.

Then, Vito Ippolito, president of FIM proved him right. “We should increase controls. The problem is that within our sport there is some … resistance.” The FIM is in charge of the anti-doping program in the motorcycling world championship. According to the data published on its website and updated to October 23, between January and September (of that month are the latest data) this year made 54 controls in the championship or, divided equally between Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP. The first were held in April at the Grand Prix of the Americas and the last, in September at the Grand Prix of San Marino. Of the first 13 grand prizes of the season, there were only six controls.