The extra motivation behind Yari Montella’s WorldSBK podium run: “I need a car!” 

Yari Montella scored his ninth podium of the 2026 season at the UK WorldSBK, strengthening his grip on third in the championship.

Montella now holds third place in the riders’ standings by 21 points over Alex Lowes after taking his fifth consecutive third place in Race 1 at Donington.

The Italian had been passed by Lowes, as well as his brother Sam Lowes, in the opening stages of the race, so it wasn’t until mid-race that he was able to show his pace and lay claim to the final stop on the podium.

“It was a long race,” Yari Montella said after Race 1 at Donington.

“I wasn’t expecting the Lowes brothers that made a big start. 

“I had overtakes from Sam and then with Alex, and I lost two positions in 200 metres. 

“Then I started to build my race. In the middle of the race, when I had free track, we were faster. 

“I think today was our chance to try to stay a bit close to the first two.”

Montella may be getting a stronger grip on that championship bronze medal, but the Barni Ducati rider is keen to keep improving.

“At the end I’m focused on trying to be always faster,” he said.

“I have goals, and one of those goals is to try to have a race with the first two. Not fighting for the victory, but it will be nice to try to stay with them. 

“At the end, we are working for that. I’m trying every session, every race weekend, I try to improve myself, to improve the bike, to improve my riding style, to come to the result. 

“At the end, it means I’m third in the world for Superbike. I’m realising that I’m the third, but I’m also focused to be always faster.”

A run of podiums also means a run of bonuses for Montella, who has his targets in mind financially speaking.

“Nine podiums, not bad,” he said. “I need a car, so I’m working for it! 

“I don’t have a car, I have just a van. 

“I have a car for the sponsor that gives me a car, but the contract finishes in October and I don’t know if he gives me one more year to the car. If not, I need to buy a car. 

“I’m working for it, I need money to buy a car. Or a new van, I don’t know.”

Overall, the WorldSBK season is not panning out the way Montella expected, in fact it is going much better than planned.

“But we are riders,” the Italian reiterated.

“We are enjoying when we’re winning.

“A podium is a podium. I’m super-happy, super-proud, because if I think of the Yari at the beginning of the season and someone told me ‘In Donington you will be third in the championship with nine podiums’, I say ‘Fuck off’. 

“But it’s true, at the end we are here, in Donington, in a track that I like, making podiums, making always good results, be always in the top-five, and it’s really good. 

“So, for this reason, I’m so happy, so proud for the work that we’re doing. 

“But, on the other side, we are trying because at the end, like me, also Barni, also my crew chief, also my electronics [engineer], also my mechanics, we have a goal and we are working for it.”