Superbike, Montella fired up: "New bike to get to grips with; in Australia I want to adapt right away"

Yari Montella is no longer just a young prospect. After a rookie 2025, he approaches the next Superbike World Championship with the awareness that he can aim high.

Marco Barnabò has never had any doubts about him, renewing his trust. In the Barni Racing garage, the air smells of challenge with Alvaro Bautista, still hungry for success, and Yari Montella, who wants to prove his worth once and for all. The winter tests were of little significance. They’ll head to Australia with many unknowns but also plenty of hope.

"We did very little riding over the winter, especially in the dry," Yari Montella tells Corsedimoto. "I did some wet testing, but it only says so much. The bike is different: it needs to be understood and discovered. We haven't had time to do that or to figure out which aspects have improved and which haven't. It's all still to be seen. Australia will be a peculiar race because we’ll all arrive with more or less the same general feeling. Who knows. The goal is to adapt as quickly as possible and make the most of what we have."

After Danilo Petrucci’s departure to BMW, the Barni Racing team, as we know, welcomed Alvaro Bautista. At 41, the Spanish rider still has the enthusiasm of a kid. Yari and Alvaro have many personality traits in common, and that can only be positive.

"I immediately got along well with Alvaro Bautista," Montella continues. "I already knew him, but now that we’re teammates, I’ve had the chance to spend some time with him, like at the team presentation and during some training sessions. I have to say he’s an excellent person. In any case, within the team everyone goes their own way and follows their own strategy. Surely during the championship we won’t even have much time to talk, because everyone’s busy with their own things. Overall though, I liked him."