Yari Montella shares his emotions after securing championship bronze in 2026 WorldSBK

Barni Spark Racing rider Yari Montella secured fifth in Race 1 at the WorldSBK season finale in Jerez, confirming third place in the championship standings in his sophomore season.

The 26-year-old has made a sizeable jump from his debut year to 2026. After finishing 18th in 2025 and retiring in a third of the races, Montella's 15-place rise signals a major turnaround.

"It's quite impressive and hard to believe. If someone had told me this before the season, I probably would have thought they were crazy," Montella told media, including The Moto Report, in Jerez.

"But sometimes dreams come true.

"And who knows, maybe I can fight for the title next season. Maybe not, but you can never know beforehand."

The long list of accolades continues: he secured the best independent rider at the penultimate round at Estoril, meaning Barni Spark Racing have won three in a row after Montella's ex-teammate Danilo Petrucci won the award in 2024 and 2025.

Barni Spark Racing has also secured the Best Independent Team title, with the team aiming to overtake Bimota and finish second in the Teams’ Championship on Sunday.