Yari Montella secured a podium triple at the 2026 WorldSBK Prosecco DOC UK Round Sunday at Donington Park in England, finishing third in Race 1, second in the Superpole Race, and third in Race 2. Officials confirmed Montella’s consistent top-three finishes highlighted his strong performance throughout the weekend, despite Toprak Razgatlioglu not appearing on the Donington podium.
Montella’s podium sequence at Donington Park unfolded with a third-place finish in Race 1, second in the Superpole Race, and another third place in Race 2, according to official race reports from BikeSport News, Crash.net, and Roadracing World. In Race 1 on June 14, 2026, Iker Lecuona took the victory after leading every lap, followed by Nicolo Bulega in second and Montella completing the all-Ducati podium in third place. SPEEDWEEK reported Montella finished 6.711 seconds behind Lecuona, marking his first podium of the weekend and his seventh consecutive third-place finish in Race 2 later that day.
Montella’s second-place finish in the Superpole Race earned him 195 championship points, placing him third in the riders’ standings after the event, behind Bulega and Lecuona, sources confirmed.
The Superpole Race, a 10-lap sprint, saw Bulega overtake Montella on Lap 5 to claim the win, with Montella settling for second and Sam Lowes finishing third, according to Roadracing World. The race order changed early when Lecuona crashed out from the lead on Lap 2.
Race 2 concluded with Bulega winning again, Lecuona taking second, and Montella securing his third podium of the day in third place. Crash.net noted the race produced yet another all-Ducati podium, with Montella finishing 6.850 seconds behind the winner. Axel Bassani finished fourth, making Montella the highest-placed rider not supported by a factory Ducati team. The consistency of Montella’s results at Donington contributed to his ninth podium of the 2026 season and strengthened his hold on third place in the championship standings, officials said.
The weekend’s results underscored Ducati’s dominance at Donington Park during the Prosecco DOC UK Round. BikeSport News highlighted an all-Ducati top six in Race 1, with the only Ducati rider outside that group being Alvaro Bautista in 14th place. Similarly, Crash.net emphasized the repeated all-Ducati podiums in both Race 2 and the Superpole Race. The Ducati Panigale V4 R package proved competitive across the three races, according to multiple race reports.
Montella’s performance also drew attention for his ability to maintain steady results amid strong competition. SPEEDWEEK quoted Montella reflecting on Race 1, stating he “did not count on the Lowes brothers,” referring to the unexpected pace of the Lowes siblings in the chasing group. Crash.net framed Montella’s Donington weekend as an “extra motivation” story tied to his ongoing podium streak and ambitions in the 2026 WorldSBK season.
The Donington round was held June 13-14, 2026, at Donington Park in England as part of the WorldSBK Prosecco DOC UK Round. The event featured three races: Race 1 and Race 2 on Sunday, with the Superpole Race also on Sunday as a sprint format. The weekend’s results confirmed Nicolo Bulega and Iker Lecuona as the primary frontrunners, with Montella solidifying his position as a consistent podium contender in third place overall in the championship. Officials and race records indicate Montella’s performance at Donington was a key moment in his 2026 campaign, contributing valuable points and maintaining Ducati’s competitive presence in the series.
