Second-year rider Yari Montella with the Barni Spark Racing Team has put pen to paper and stick with the team for a third WorldSBK season. He and his Independent MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship team have reached terms, and the rider will look to continue his ascendant 2026 form in the season to come. Currently riding in third place in the Riders’ Championship, the team’s decision to re-sign Montella is a clear vote of confidence in the Italian’s development as they maintain his services for what will be the #5’s fifth season in the paddock with the team.
Montella’s jump from rookie struggles in 2025 to one of the 2026 campaign’s top riders is nothing short of sensational, and the Campanian rider’s determined work this offseason looks to be paying dividends. With a best result of P7, his main issue was keeping the bike out of the gravel, as he registered 12 DNFs in races alone, meaning he failed to finish one-third of his rookie season’s races. Not only has the #5 cleaned up his act this season – only suffering three DNFs so far in 2026 – but his pace has taken a herculean leap forward. He opened the season with his maiden WorldSBK podium in the season-opening race and has since landed seven more rostrum results, including two podium hat-tricks, one at Most and the other at Misano.
Prior to his rookie WorldSBK season last year, Montella had distinguished himself as a promising young talent in World Supersport. He made his debut in a 2021 wildcard appearance at Portimao with GMT-94 Yamaha, where he was fast from the jump, finishing P6 and P10 on the weekend, and precipitated a full-time seat in 2022 with Kawasaki Puccetti Racing. Again he was quick to distinguish himself, taking his maiden win in the season’s first race at Phillip Island. Prior to the 2023 campaign is when he signed his initial deal with the Barni Spark Racing Team, which at the time had seats in both WorldSSP and WorldSBK. He grew throughout the subsequent 2023 and 2024 seasons, taking five podiums in the former season before a thunderous seven-win, 14-podium season in 2024 which earned him the confidence of his team and sponsors to bring a second seat for him to their WorldSBK outfit.
On the agreement, Montella said: “Extending my contract with Barni for another year was one of my goals after a season like this so far. It already felt like something like this could happen in the air, so I’m very happy and satisfied. I want to thank the team for showing their trust in me for another year. With the next one, it will be five years of collaboration with Barni. In terms of continuity, for such an important project that started in Supersport, this renewal is something I’m proud of, because we’ve managed to build a relationship where we’ve celebrated and also gone through difficult moments together, strengthening our bond year after year. We remain focused on 2026, as it is shaping up to be an important year for both me and the team. The confirmation for 2027 allows me not to lose focus on the current season and our main objectives.”
On the team's new agreement with Montella, Team Principal Marco Barnabo said: “We are pleased and proud to renew our agreement with Yari, as the results are proving that the work, continuity and commitment from both him and the team are paying off. Even if we have had some difficult moments, this season’s Championship and performances are confirming the value of the path we have taken together. We know that we are still missing one final step to be competitive on all tracks and we are confident that by continuing the work started with Yari, we will be able to achieve it. For this reason, the renewal was a natural choice. I would also like to thank all of our technical and of financial sponsors, who allow us to continue on this path and make important decisions like this one. A special thanks goes to Ducati, which consistently provides us with a competitive bike and enables us to aim for even greater achievements.”
Catch Montella next time out at Donington Park on July 10th with the WorldSBK VideoPass! Now 50% off!