“I started to believe”: Yari Montella “proud” but unsatisfied with UK WorldSBK podiums

Yari Montella has become a regular podium contender in WorldSBK in recent races, but the Italian thought he had the chance to go a step further at the UK Round.

Montella finished third for the fifth time in succession WorldSBK in Race 1, but his second place in the Superpole Race came after he was gifted the lead by an Iker Lecuona crash.

The Italian admitted later on that in that moment he thought about winning.

“I started to believe it,” said Yari Montella after Race 2, reflecting on the Superpole Race.

“I started to believe that it was my moment. 

“But, at the end, after some laps, Bulega destroyed my thinking with a hard overtake!

“Anyway, jokes apart, it was quite funny because I was pushing, the pace was good, we were faster than ever. 

“I was super-proud because my goal at the moment, yes, it would be nice winning a race, but I think [before] thinking about winning I need to think about closing the gap with the first.

“At the end, I think that here in Donington it was the first weekend that I was close like this weekend. 

“I’m super-proud, super-happy about the work that we are doing with the team. 

“Race 2 was more or less the same because I started good, I tried to follow Nicolo for the maximum that I had. 

“I was surprised because at the beginning I was with him quite easy, following him with the same pace, but I didn’t expect to struggle with the tyre like I struggled. 

“I had a gap with Iker that I tried to manage, but without arms, and at the end I said ‘Okay, the weekend was positive, so we need to keep the positive momentum’.”

Montella is hoping to close the gap to the front two further in the coming races.

“I hope it’s going to be better,” he said.

“We are working to grow up; every session, every weekend we are working to try to always go faster than ever. 

“For sure, after Misano we made, I think, a big step here in Donington, and I hope and I expect to always be faster. 

“One of my goals is to stay with them [Bulega and Lecuona] in one race.

“It’s going to be super-fun fighting for a race with them and I hope that this day comes.”