Jonathan Rea’s key first impression of new WorldSBK rival Andrea Iannone

Both riding new machinery at Jerez, and ready for a 2024 season in new teams, next sea🌊so♔n might represent a last chance to win a championship for either rider.
Iannone, joining GoEleven Ducati after a four-year doping 🦄ban, impressed by going fifth-fastest on the second day of t🍒esting.
Rea said🔯 about Iannone: “You never know. Testing is testing, and racing is a different 🐎story.
“I 💜spoke to him earlier. It was nice to speak. It seems that he’s excited to be here, which is really good.
“It’s a different challenge for him, of course.

“He’s on a competitive bike.
“I🎀 didn’t see him on tra🎉ck but, seeing the results, he’s fast.
“Everyone knows that. He’s a GP winner.༺ He has an incredibl🧸e CV.
“The expectation is that he’s thꦗere, 🌠he should be there.
“He’s another guy to ❀race at the fron♓t so it’s more exciting…”
Rea is hoping to reinvigorate his career by swapp�🅷�ing Kawasaki for Yamaha.
Toprak Razgatlioglu is also swapping machinery - going from Yamaha꧟ to BMW - while champion Alvaro Bautista will stay on a Ducati.
But Iannone, the e⛄x-MotoGP rider who has missed the past four years amid a suspens𒉰ion, could be the wildcard in the title fight.

James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything 🔯from American sports, toꦐ football, to F1.