World Championship third-place finisher Yari Montella (Ducati): “Sometimes dreams do come true”

Only observers would have believed Yari Montella capable of such an improvement in the 2026 Superbike World Championship. In his rookie season, the Italian had retired from twelve of 36 races – mostly due to self-inflicted crashes – and finished a disappointing 18th in the World Championship standings.

And this year? Right from the season opener at Phillip Island, Montella shone in the first race, finishing second; from Most onwards, the Ducati privateer was regularly among the frontrunners and arrived at the season finale in Jerez in third place overall, having secured 14 top-three finishes. After the first race, the Barni rider is uncatchable.

“It’s quite impressive, really, and hard to believe,” Montella marvelled on Saturday afternoon. “If someone had told me that before the season, I’d probably have thought they were mad. But sometimes dreams do come true, and who knows – maybe next season I’ll be in the running for the title. Maybe not, but you can never tell in advance.”

It has been a special season for Montella and his team. As the top independent rider, the top independent team and third in the World Championship, a privateer project couldn’t have achieved any more. “We’ve done the job. It was our aim to secure third place in the World Championship,” beamed the Italian. “Ultimately, though, it was only mathematically possible to lose that position, because my lead over Alex Lowes was quite big – he would have had to win every race and I would have had to crash three times – it was practically impossible.”

Fifth place for Yari Montella is no disaster

From the fourth lap onwards, Montella was even battling with Aruba.it works rider Iker Lecuona for third place, until, with his tyres wearing out, he was first unable to keep up with the Spaniard and was then overtaken by his team-mate Alvaro Bautista, dropping to fifth.

Topic of the week

Topic of the week: MotoGP’s new schedule proved highly controversial

In 2027, MotoGP will also enter the 850cc era with a new schedule. It was not so much the changes themselves as the way the decisions were reached that caused a stir. A prime example of: ‘Talking helps’.

Thomas Kuttruf

Read More

TV Program

Tomorrow

Jerez: Superpole Race

FIM Superbike World Championship

18.10.2026 - 10:55

“We’re third in the World Championship, which I’m really pleased about, but I wasn’t satisfied with my race,” grumbled Montella. “I had major problems with the front end and lost fourth place shortly before the end, finishing fifth. But finishing in the top five, six seconds behind the winner, isn’t a disaster.”