Suzuki rider Andrea Iannone's appreciation for the Mugello circuit paid off in the two free practice sessions on Friday, with the Italian rider demonstrating a real confidence and improving his lap time sensibly from the morning to the afternoon.
His best lap in FP2 was set in 1'47.807 and is 0.442s from the top of the timesheet, and only 0.060s from the top ten, which would give him direct access to Q2 on Saturday.
What makes his times more admirable is that he has been feeling unwell for the past week but gave his all to please his legion of home fans…
“I'm very happy about how the GSX-RR is behaving at this circuit. I think this is one of the best for us, where we are best suited. Regrettably, I don't feel in optimal condition; I have been suffering from a stomach ache for five days and I feel very weak,” he explained. “With the doctors, we are trying to improve the situation and my hope is tonight I will start feeling better, because it would be unfortunate to miss the chance to compete at 100%.”
