Aprilia rider Andrea Iannone has been handed an 18-month suspension by the FIM on 31 March 2020 after testing positive for banned substances.
During a routine doping test at the Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia in November, both Iannone’s A and B samples tested positive for Drostanolone, an anabolic steroid, which is prohibited under the FIM Anti-Doping Code.
The Italian rider was subsequently disqualified from the remaining two races of the season in Malaysia and Valencia, stripping him of any points he had received during the weekends.
In a statement released this morning, Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola said “The sentence leaves us baffled because of the penalty levied against Andrea, but also very satisfied in its motivations.
“The judges recognised Andrea’s complete good faith and unawareness of assuming the substance, confirming the food contamination argument. For this reason, the penalty imposed does not make any sense.“
The ban will stretch from 17 December 2019, when Iannone was provisionally suspended, to 16 June 2021. Iannone’s legal team had already asked for more time regarding the original ruling on 4 February 2020 after claiming accidental ingestion of the substance and it is believed he will appeal against the latest ruling in an attempt to reduce the ban.