Yari Montella (Ducati) after two third-place finishes: Exhausted, but happy

Yari Montella impressively cemented his position as the top customer rider at the ninth round of the 2026 Superbike World Championship. Although the 26-year-old, riding for the Barni Racing Ducati team, had to concede third place on the podium to his team-mate Sam Lowes in the first race at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, the Italian lifted the smallest trophy in the Superpole race and the second race – given the dominance of the Aruba.it Ducati works riders, third-place finishes are effectively like a victory for Montella.

These were hard-fought positions. In the ten-lap sprint race, Montella ran in fourth place behind the Marc-VDS rider right up until the final lap, without ever getting within striking distance. However, the pressure took its toll: the 35-year-old crashed on the final lap.

“I’m absolutely knackered – but also very happy! It really was a great Sunday for us,” said the Ducati privateer jubilantly. “The Superpole race was particularly enjoyable, even if I was a bit lucky with Sam Lowes’ crash. But you’ve also got to be in the right place to capitalise on it. I gave it my all from the first to the last lap and secured the best possible result – what more could you want?”

Willkommen zum Rennen in Magny-Cours

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Nicolò Bulega

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Axel Bassani

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Boxengasse

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Garrett Gerloff

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Fans

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Xavier Vierge

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Sam Lowes

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Iker Lecuona

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Álvaro Bautista

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Start des Rennens

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Lorenzo Baldassarri

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Axel Bassani

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Sam Lowes

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Nicolò Bulega

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Iker Lecuona

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Yari Montella

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Nicolò Bulega gewinnt beide Läufe in Frankreich

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Bulega und Lecuona

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Podium Lauf 1 - Iker Lecuona, Nicolò Bulega, Sam Lowes

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Podium Lauf 2 - Iker Lecuona, Nicolò Bulega, Yari Montella

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Sieger Nicolò Bulega

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Willkommen zum Rennen in Magny-Cours

© Gold & Goose

Montella also had to be patient in the second main race. It wasn’t until the sixth lap that he found a way past the impressive Alberto Surra (Ducati). The rookie delivered the best Superbike weekend of his still-young career so far at Magny-Cours.

“I knew I could have a good second race. Sam was only tenth on the grid and his brother Alex was fifth behind me. In the first few laps, however, I found it a bit difficult to get into a rhythm, and then there was Alberto Surra,” said the Barni rider. “But I was consistent and only started to have a few problems with the front tyre right at the very end. By that point, though, I was already leading by about five seconds over Alberto and was able to control the gap.”