For the first time in his career, Yari Montella secured a hat-trick of WorldSBK podiums at the Czech Round.
Montella had shown podium pace during the 2026 WorldSBK season after standing on the rostrum at Phillip Island and Balaton Park.
However, at the Czech WorldSBK Round, the Italian rider was the best of the rest, as he finished in third place behind Nicolo Bulega and Iker Lecuona.
In the opening race of the weekend, Montella crossed the line in third place and was 9.892s behind Lecuona, who spent the race battling with his teammate Bulega.
After his comfortable third-place finish in Race 1, Montella was able to repeat the same results in the Sunday Superpole Race and Race 2.
But when compared to Race 1, his race was not as comfortable, as he had fellow Ducati rider Lorenzo Baldassarri behind him in fourth place.
In the Superpole Race, Montella crossed the line in third place, but he had Baldassarri only 0.699s behind him at the chequered flag.
This was a similar fate in Race 2, as the Italians finished in third and fourth once again, but this time the gap between Montella and Baldassarri was 1.254s.
With a hat-trick of third places, Montella secured third in the 2026 WorldSBK Championship, behind Bulega and Lecuona.
“I’m the first of the others,” Montella chuckled to the media after taking third in WorldSBK.
“Take away the two factory riders, and I’m always in the mix, which is a positive. We’re doing a good job, and I’m happy.
“In the last race, I rode strongly; Baldassarri was on my wheel at first, but I managed to open a gap. From the middle of the race onward, I had increasing difficulties because the grip was decreasing. Then it paid off that I had a lead over Baldassarri.”
Yari Montella ‘controlled the situation’ at the Czech WorldSBK Round
In the opening round of the 2026 season, Montella secured his first podium in the Superbike class after failing to feature on the podium in his rookie campaign.
After his past struggles, the Italian rider believes that in the early stages of his second season in WorldSBK, he has been more focused on the bike.
Montella was particularly proud of how he was able to hold off Baldassarri in the Superpole Race on Sunday morning.
When discussing his first treble podium in WorldSBK, Montella said, “We’re much faster, my focus on the bike is much better, and I know what to do and when.
“It’s important that I can handle different situations, like the sprint against Balda, who was only a few tenths of a second behind me the whole time.
“I was surprised how calm I remained and how well I controlled the situation. I was able to get the most out of it without making any mistakes.”
Discussion about this post