One Ducati WorldSBK rider puts pen to paper on a new contract

Ducati have signed up one of their WorldSBK riders to a new deal - but there is still work to be done.

The future of Yari Montella is, at least, confirmed after he put pen to paper on a new contract with Barni Ducati.

The Italian rider has impressed in his rookie World Superbike Championship campaign with Marco Barnabo’s team riding a Ducati Panigale V4 R, and will be staying for 2026.

“I want to thank Barni for this opportunity,” Montella said.

“It is the continuation of a project we both believe in, and I’m happy we are on the same wavelength. I also wanted to confirm my commitment to carry forward this path we started in 2023 in WorldSSP.

“The idea of doing another year together in WorldSBK is something we’ve all earned. This year, in races, we’ve shown we can be competitive.

“There’s still a lot of work to do, but knowing I have a team that supports me, pushes me and believes in me is fundamental. I’m really very happy. Now the goal is to finish this second half of the Championship in the best possible way.”

Team principal Barnabo said: “We are happy to continue the project started with Yari three seasons ago. We have believed in him since 2023 in WorldSSP and today, in his first WorldSBK season, he is showing all his potential.

“The results speak for themselves. There is plenty of room for growth and continuity is the key to further progress. Our goal remains to eld two bikes in the WorldSBK.

“With the arrival of the new Ducati Panigale, everything will change. It’s a challenging task, but we’re already working on it. We strongly believe in this project, which requires a great deal of resources and energy.”

But Ducati have more decisions to make

Montella and Nicolo Bulega, with the Aruba.it team, and Marc VDS’ Sam Lowes are the only contracted Ducati riders in WorldSBK for 2026.

The manufacturer has announced that Alvaro Bautista will exit the Aruba.it team at the end of this season.

That means there is likely to be a chase for the seat alongside Bulega. The vacant BMW left behind by Toprak Razgatlioglu is also intriguing.

Danilo Petrucci, Montella’s teammate at Barni, has not confirmed his status for next year.

Ryan Vickers and Scott Redding’s deals with their respective teams expire at the end of this year.

Go Eleven Ducati's Andrea Iannone is also a question mark for 2026.