Yari Montella (Ducati) fitter than ever: “The break did me good”

Since the round at Misano, where Yari Montella shone in the long races with two third-place finishes and a second place in the Superpole race, the Ducati privateer has been sitting third in the overall standings of the 2026 Superbike World Championship. To ensure this remains the case until the end of the season, the Italian put in a lot of hard work during the summer break and trained even more intensively than usual.

“At last, after almost two months, we’re back on the track,” said Montella, looking forward to the upcoming event at Magny-Cours. “On the one hand, it was good to get some distance after a very intense and hectic period – with one race after another and many other commitments. Personally, it did me good to take a break so that I could come back even fitter. We’ve stepped up our training recently, and I’ve also been to Magny-Cours on a practice bike to ensure I’m as well prepared as possible.”

As a rookie a year ago at the Circuit de Nevers, Montella suffered a disaster, with a crash and two technical retirements. Having already secured eleven top-three finishes in 2026, his targets are now set significantly higher.

“I was already quick last year, as my sixth-fastest time in qualifying showed, even though we weren’t quite able to translate that into the races,” recalls the 26-year-old. “I like Magny-Cours: there are a few sections that suit my riding style well, whilst we lost a bit of ground in others last year. We’ll try to close that gap and take another step forward. I’m confident that we’ll give it our all, improve the feel of the bike compared to last year and bring home the best possible result.”

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Magny-Cours: 1. Freies Training

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04.09.2026 - 10:15