The Maniac got the holeshot from second on the grid and instantly reminded the fans of what they were missing when the Italian was forced into the sidelines for four years.

Iannone would lose the lead to Nicolo Bulega on lap seven and would remain in second place fighting off Alex Lowes on the Kawasaki until the pit stops.

After the pitstops, the mercurial Italian lost second place to Alex Lowes and Toprak Razgatlioglu after going wide at Miller corner, before fighting back and reclaiming those spots immediately.

Later on, Iannone would again go wide, but this time at Lukey Heights, allowing a fast-charging Andrea Locatelli on two lap fresher tires, to sneak past. But despite being on inferior tires, Iannone would again mount a comeback and close the gap to Locatelli to within half a second, but it would be a little too late.

The Italian was essentially the fastest rider in the second part of the race, but due to ‘ring rust’ the Italian did make some clumsy mistakes, which would cost him a debut victory. 

But overall, the Maniac has much more to be proud of after securing his debut podium and showcasing a pace that could challenge anyone on Sunday.

“It’s incredible for me,” The Italian was all smiles speaking to WorldSBK.com. “I didn’t expect this comeback and I’m living the dream!

“When you have a feeling with the bike it’s important but for me, it’s fantastic to be at this level.”

“I saw a lot of support from other people and this is more important than the level that I’m at now. It’s pure energy for me after all these years!”

“The race was much better and when I was leading, I was full of emotions and it was a little bit ‘wow, a shock!’.

“I made a mistake twice but we’re not at 100% with the engine braking. For the start, it’s OK! Tomorrow is a different day so we’ll try to improve but without any stress. It’s important that we smile right now and enjoy this.”