The 2022 FIM Supersport World Championship continued to bring drama and excitement at Donington Park and the Prosecco DOC UK Round. Whilst it was reigning World Champion Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) who made it a record-equalling nine consecutive race wins, there were plenty of other headlines. Back at the front of the field for the first time since Estoril, Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura WorldSSP) bagged a first podium of the season and a first with Ducati in Race 1, as he had a solid weekend in the UK.

The likeable Italian qualified in a season-best 11^th and whilst that was only the fourth row, he had shown good race pace throughout Friday. By the end of the opening lap, he was eighth whilst he was inside the top five by Lap 3. However, it was on Lap 10 when De Rosa made his move for the podium to pass fellow countryman Yari Montella (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), holding on until the chequered flag for a first rostrum of the season.

Speaking about his podium and reviewing his weekend, De Rosa said: “I am really happy; all of the weekend, we have worked well, and the team deserve it too. We have changed everything from last year, including the bike, and we have spent a lot of energy. It has been a very positive weekend, getting a lot of points, which is the important thing. Things can always be improved but the team has worked hard and a third place and a sixth I think is a very good result. We have to work in the same direction in the coming weeks.”

The Ducati is De Rosa’s fourth different manufacturer to which he has taken to the podium. His first ever rostrum came at Phillip Island in 2014 for Honda. After winning the STK1000 title in 2016 and moving to WorldSBK in 2017, De Rosa joined forces with the MV Agusta outfit in WorldSSP for 2018 until the end of 2020, where he was a contender for victories but accumulated 11 podiums for the Italian brand, the second-highest tally for them in WorldSSP.

In 2021, he moved to Jose Calero’s Orelac Racing VerdNatura team and finally, after 15 podiums in the class and finishing second five times, he won a WorldSSP race in a head-to-head thriller at Mandalika in Race 1. For 2022, he and the team switched to Ducati and now, they have a podium there too. Only Fabian Foret has WorldSSP podiums with four manufacturers, with Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki and Yamaha. De Rosa is now 11^th in the Championship standings on 47 points but is just 28 behind fifth place, currently occupied by Donington Park podium rival Montella.

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