Aprilia rider Andrea Iannone has been banned from MotoGP for 18 months following his failed drugs test last year.
The Italian was provisionally suspended back in December after his A sample, taken following the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang, tested positive for Drostanolone, a banned Exogenous Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid.
Following a request, his B sample was tested but also came back positive with his argument being the small amount of substance found likely came from contaminated meat.
However, though judges at the FIM disciplinary panel agreed Iannone had not taken the anabolic steroid intentionally, it has been decided to suspend the 30-year-old for a year and a half starting from when his provisional suspension began last December until June 2021.
Andrea though does have three weeks to lodge an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland and Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola has vowed to fight with his rider to get the ban overturned.
“The sentence leaves us baffled by the punishment imposed on Andrea, but also very satisfied in his motivations,” he said in a statement.
“The judges recognised Andrea’s total good faith and unconsciousness in confirming the thesis of food contamination. For this reason, the penalty imposed does not make any sense.
“In light of the reasons written by the judges, Andrea should have been acquitted, as has always happened to the other contaminated athletes.
“But this picture leaves us with much hope for the appeal, which we hope will be very fast.
“We want Andrea riding his Aprilia RS-GP, we will be at his side until the end of this story and we will support him in his appeal.”
Aprilia has previously suggested a lengthy ban would result in Iannone’s contract with the team being terminated, but the ongoing delay to the start of the MotoGP season due to the coronavirus could offer him hope.