MOTOGP
MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 13 / OCTOBER 18, 2015
PHILLIP ISLAND / PHILLIP ISLAND, AUSTRALIA
P70
long had been Movistar Yamaha's Valentino
Rossi and second-fastest qualifier Andrea Ian-
none. The Ducati rider earned his grid position
by following Lorenzo, to the Spaniard's spo-
ken displeasure, for he was third, Marquez on
pole. In the race he could do more than follow.
Hanging on grimly through the sweeps, he had
a great surge of Ducati power to use every time
down the front straight, to regain places over
and again into the turn one/Doohan Corner
sweep. He also survived demolishing a seagull
in the early laps, which left a hole in the right
front of his cowling.
His best overtake was on lap 25. He was
fourth, just ahead of Rossi, and pushed inside
Marquez at MG in a textbook blocker. It slowed
both of them. Iannone was perfectly poised to
dive through the gap as they ran wide, to take
over second place.
His most important was on the final lap, a
few yards further on. Rossi had outbraked him
into the corner, but he was ready and took third
place back right on the exit. From there, the
Desmosedici surge meant he was invulnerable,
for his third podium of the season.
(Above) Rossi dove up the inside of Iannone on the final
lap but could not hold the place and lost more points in
the title race. (Below) Andrea Iannone (29) is about to
join the illustrious Seagull Club of Greater Phillip Island.
The bird ripped a hole in his fairing.
