Sophomore Italian rider Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) has officially put the Best Independent Rider award on ice at the Circuito Estoril, adding to the Independent Teams’ title he had already clinched. While the Tissot Estoril Round of the 2026 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship didn't offer his smoothest weekend of results across the three races, sheer consistency has elevated him this season—a massive leap from his P18 finish in his rookie campaign. That same consistency also places a third-place finish in the Riders’ Championship firmly within striking range for the final round.
Saturday's action threw plenty of obstacles in the path of the #5 machine. After pulling off a stunning save during FP3 that left his team holding their breath, Montella managed to grab the final spot on the second row with a 1’34.747s lap time, placing him more than eight tenths off Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati). He slotted into P5 on the opening lap of Race 1, but contact with Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) on Turn 3 of Lap 6 ripped off one of his bike's wings, sent him wide, and dropped him down to P10. He clawed his way back by passing top independent rival Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) for P9 in the first sector of Lap 14, eventually closing in on teammate Alvaro Bautista to finish Saturday in P8.
Sunday brought even more drama during the 10-lap Tissot Superpole Race. Montella was slapped with a Long Lap Penalty for irresponsible riding following an opening-corner incident. Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) drove up the inside of Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team), who straightened his bike to avoid the #88 machine and collided with Montella, sending both riders wide. Plunged to P13 at the end of the first lap, Montella took his penalty on Lap 4. With the pack still dense, he slipped back to P16 before fighting his way to a P13 finish, aided by Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) running wide on Lap 5, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) crashing out on Lap 7, and a pass on countryman Stefano Manzi (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) on Lap 9.
Reflecting on the penalty, Montella offered his perspective: “I think it was just a racing incident. I started from P6, I found my line on the outside and saw Alex to my side. I was just defending my position, but I didn’t see that Oliveira overtook Alex on the inside. When he came into Alex, Alex picked up the bike, and we touched. I think that it was normal contact in the race, the same as the contact between ‘Balda’ and me on Saturday in Race 1. Race direction decided to give me a Long Lap Penalty, and I did it. Some things we can’t control, but it was a shame because we had the possibility to have a good race.”
Sunday afternoon finally saw the pieces fall into place. Starting from P11, Montella cleanly navigated the opening scramble to reach P6 by the end of the first lap. He stalked Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team)—staying within three tenths of the #47 over the opening eight laps—before launching a successful move at Turn 6 on Lap 9 to take P5. When Bautista crashed out from P3 on Lap 17, Montella inherited fourth, though he couldn't chase down rookie Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing), who stretched his gap from 1.1s on Lap 17 to 2.1s by the chequered flag. With Sam Lowes stumbling to a P15 finish, Montella's fourth place sealed the Best Independent Rider Award for 2026. He now sits with a 53-point lead over Alex Lowes for third place in the Riders’ Championship, leaving 62 points on the table.
Looking back at his achievement and ahead to the potential bronze medal finish at Jerez, Montella shared: “I feel relaxed now; we had been talking about this title a lot, and in the end, we did it. I’m really proud of the work done by my team and by my personal team, my personal trainer and psychologist. We made a big step from last year, I was told that we finished P18 last year, and this year we are fighting for P3. We need to keep fighting in this way and keep fighting for victories and for P3 in the title.”
