The International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) suspended Italian Andrea Iannone for 18 months for his steroid test after the doping control he underwent at the Malaysian Grand Prix held on November 3. According to his team, Aprilia, the FIM accepted the thesis presented by the pilot's lawyers, who alleged food poisoning, but in its statement, the agency itself does not state that maxim.

"In a first analysis of the judgment it is appreciated with satisfaction that the absence of 'fraud' and the accidental use of steroids is recognized, in fact admitting the thesis of food contamination, never admitted in the first instance," he explains. a statement released this Wednesday by the Aprilia Racing team.

"This scenario opens new possibilities of appeal for Andrea Iannone, but there remains the bewilderment of a sanction that is completely inconsistent with the reconstruction carried out in the sentence, by not recognizing the innocence of Andrea Iannone," the note continues.

"Within the respect of the sports values ​​that always inspire its activity and that do not contemplate at any time practices prohibited by the regulations, the Aprilia Racing team has always defended the innocence of its driver and will now do so with greater effort in the appeal of this sentence before the TAS ", assures the statement of the Italian manufacturer.

The Chief Executive Officer of Aprilia Racing and therefore the maximum person in charge of the team, the Italian Massimo Rivola , declared in the same statement that "the sentence baffles the penalty applied to Andrea, but we are very satisfied with his motivation. The judges have recognized the total Andrea's good faith and confirmation of the thesis of food contamination. "

"For this reason, the sanction imposed does not make any sense in light of the detailed reasons during the trial of Andrea, who should have been acquitted, as has always happened with other contaminated athletes, but this situation allows us to be optimistic for the appeal. that we are going to present and that we hope will be resolved quickly, "says Rivola.

"We love Andrea about the Aprilia RS-GP and we will be by her side until the end of this litigation and we will support her in her appeal," stresses the head of Aprilia Racing.

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