The FIM has advised that Andrea Iannone remains provisionally suspended over consumption of a banned substance, having opened his International Disciplinary Court hearing.

The Aprilia rider was provisionally suspended on December 17, 2019 after a urine sample tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid, a result confirmed by the B sample.

Iannone will therefore miss the first full official MotoGP test of the year, which runs from February 7-9 at Sepang.

Lorenzo Savadori joined Aprilia’s other race rider, Aleix Espargaro, and its test rider, Bradley Smith, at the shakedown test in Malaysia which ended yesterday.

The hearing began on the same day, February 4, in Switzerland.

FIM Antidoping statement

Following a routine In-Competition doping test conducted at the round of the FIM Grand Prix World Championship held in Sepang, Malaysia on 3 November 2019, Mr Andrea Iannone tested positive for a WADA prohibited substance and is now provisionally suspended since 17 December 2019.

Mr Andrea Iannone requested analysis of his B sample which also confirmed the result of the A sample analysis.

The hearing of the International Disciplinary Court (CDI) took place today at the FIM Headquarters in the presence of a panel of three judges of the CDI where Mr Iannone had the opportunity to present his case.

The proceeding is still ongoing until a CDI decision is rendered. Mr Andrea Iannone remains provisionally suspended until then and is therefore barred from participating in any motorcycling competition or related activity until further notice.

Under the World Anti-Doping Code and the FIM Anti-Doping Code, the FIM is unable to provide any additional information at this time.