Could Japan be the right land to relaunch the Iannone – Suzuki duo? It is hard and still early to say, but it is undeniable that the weekend start is promising. In fact, the Italian rider is seventh in the standings at the end of the day and he seems to have good sensations. “I think this is one of the best Fridays of the season – Andrea begins – and overall I am rather satisfied. It would be important to have a good weekend here in Japan and I hope that we are able to do so.”

The news of the weekend is obviously the new fairing, of which the Italian seems to approve.

“I am happy that Suzuki brought the new fairing. It definitely helps, especially in terms of stability and contact on the ground, and it is also excellent for morale. Now it will be important to see how much the others improve and how much we will be able to improve. I really hope to be as close as possible to the leaders.”

The weather unknown could help number 29, who in any case remains realistic about his current situation.

“In these conditions anything is possible, but we need to keep our feet on the ground. In the first sector, for example, I lose four tenths, whereas on the rest of the track I am in better shape. We are trying to improve, but it is difficult since we struggle to get slowed down well in the first phase of cornering.”

The Suzuki is a bike that is still very much in development and Andrea is trying to help the manufacturer from Hamamatsu to head down the right path.

“At the moment, the bike is very agile, excellent on fast corners, but it needs to be improved overall in braking and acceleration. Let’s say that it’s a draw between the pros and cons (he laughs).”