alina mayaNicolo Bulega, fresh off a runner-up finish in the 2025 World Superbike Championship, received an unexpected opportunity to test his mettle in MotoGP, joining the factory Ducati team for the Portuguese and Valencia Grands Prix.
Stepping in for reigning world champion Marc Marquez, sidelined due to an arm injury sustained in Indonesia, Bulega secured 15th place in both races. Notably, these were the only points scored by the Ducati team in Sunday races since Marquez’s departure, rendering Bulega’s debut a noteworthy achievement.
However, a deeper examination of the circumstances surrounding these results is warranted, even as it acknowledges Bulega’s commendable performance.
Preparation Hurdles
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Bulega’s MotoGP debut could have potentially occurred as early as the Malaysian Grand Prix in October, following the WSBK season finale in Jerez. However, the Italian rider expressed reservations about entering a race weekend without prior experience on a MotoGP bike, requesting Ducati to facilitate a test session.
Ducati arranged a two-day test at Jerez, providing Bulega with the opportunity to familiarize himself with the GP25 machinery before his scheduled appearance at the Portuguese GP. Unfortunately, adverse weather conditions significantly hampered the test, with the first day being a complete washout. Bulega managed a mere 30 laps on the second day, as the track remained damp. Nevertheless, the limited mileage proved valuable for the 26-year-old, ensuring that he arrived at Portimao with some prior experience.
The Steep Learning Curve
Bulega entered MotoGP with a level of preparedness exceeding that of a typical Moto2 graduate, largely due to the physically demanding nature of the Ducati Panigale V4 R he rode in WSBK. While a MotoGP prototype does not offer a dramatic increase in speed compared to a superbike, the distinct riding style required posed a significant challenge.
Adapting to carbon brakes, navigating a complex electronics package, and transitioning from familiar Pirelli tires to Michelins presented Bulega with a multitude of challenges during his inaugural Grand Prix weekend aboard the Desmosedici.
The most significant adjustment for Bulega was braking, a consequence of the transition to carbon discs and the characteristics of Michelin tires. Accustomed to the braking style of a superbike, Bulega initially struggled to adapt to the nuances of the GP25. On Michelin fronts, excessive braking at the wrong moment almost invariably leads to a loss of front-end grip.
Portimao Debut: A Baptism of Fire
As a result, Bulega struggled to ride naturally during his first MotoGP weekend, as the Michelin tires failed to provide the confidence required to push the limits. He had to consciously restrain himself from braking in the manner he was accustomed to on a superbike, a difficult adjustment to make.
After qualifying 18th on the grid, marred by a mistake on his final flying lap, Bulega crashed out of the sprint race on lap 4.
This early exit served as a valuable lesson for the Italian rider, who returned stronger on Sunday to secure a solitary point. In doing so, he outperformed Aprilia test rider Lorenzo Savadori and LCR rookie Somkiat Chantra, validating Ducati’s decision to select him over the experienced Michele Pirro.
Valencia Progress: A Step Forward
Valencia presented a different set of challenges. Unlike Portimao, Circuit Ricardo Tormo is not a regular fixture on the WSBK calendar, and Bulega had not raced there since his Moto2 stint in 2021. This lack of recent track knowledge was balanced by the absence of WSBK-specific references that could have complicated his MotoGP adaptation.
While still not completely at ease with the GP25, Bulega acknowledged progress in certain areas, while identifying areas for improvement. He showed improvement in braking performance but felt he was losing too much time mid-corner and on corner exits.
This progress was evident in the timesheets, as Bulega managed to lap within 1.250 seconds of polesitter Marco Bezzecchi in qualifying, a significant improvement from the two-second gap in Portimao. However, the tightly packed field resulted in a 22nd-place grid position, ahead of only Yamaha tester Augusto Fernandez and Chantra’s Honda.
On Saturday, Bulega maximized his position in the sprint race, overtaking several full-time riders to finish 16th, a mere seven-tenths of a second behind Alex Rins’ Yamaha and three seconds adrift of teammate Francesco Bagnaia.
Expectations were high for Bulega to carry this momentum into Sunday’s race. However, like Fabio Quartararo and Bezzecchi earlier in the weekend, he encountered difficulties disengaging the holeshot device at the start. This relegated him to 22nd place on the opening lap, with only Franco Morbidelli, starting from the pits after a grid mishap, behind him.
"In the warm-up, we made a change to the bike that I liked," he explained. "I immediately felt better, I had more grip right away.
"But this afternoon, I made a huge mess at the start. Unfortunately, the front fork [device] didn’t come off, and I rode all the way to Turn 5 with the front fork lowered and ended up last."
Despite this early setback, Bulega managed to pass Jorge Martin, Fernandez, and Chantra in the early stages of the race, benefitting from retirements ahead to claim another point in 15th place.
"The bottom line was that without ever having ridden the bike, while everyone else already has twenty races under their belt, and everyone else is incredibly strong, it was foolish to think I could do more," he summed up.
"So, I’m pretty happy. I hope that by getting a little more on top of the bike, I can understand many more of today’s MotoGP mechanisms."
Bulega found solace in the fact that three-time WSBK champion Toprak Razgatlioglu experienced similar difficulties during a private test of the V4-powered Yamaha M1 at Aragon.
For Bulega, this was confirmation that the problems he encountered were primarily due to the machinery transition, rather than personal shortcomings.
Bulega’s MotoGP Results:
| Session | Portuguese GP | Valencia GP |
|---|---|---|
| Practice | 17th | 24th |
| Qualifying | 18th (+2.118) | 22nd (+1.236s) |
| Sprint | DNF | 16th |
| Race | 15th (+32s) | 15th (+26s) |
Looking Ahead
At the very least, the 26-year-old has gained valuable experience from two Grands Prix, which will prove beneficial in his new role as Ducati’s MotoGP test rider.
Despite a challenging previous stint in Moto2, Bulega remains hopeful of securing a MotoGP ride in 2027, when Pirelli replaces Michelin as the official tire supplier and new regulations aim to bridge the gap between MotoGP prototypes and superbikes. Bulega has consistently expressed his preference for Pirelli tires, making his experience potentially valuable to Ducati as they develop a bike for the next generation of rules.
However, Bulega’s primary focus remains WSBK. If he aims to earn a MotoGP seat, his performance in WSBK will be as crucial as his ability to adapt to MotoGP machinery. With Razgatlioglu’s departure to Pramac Yamaha next year, Ducati will likely expect Bulega to contend for the title in his third attempt. Success in WSBK could position him as a strong candidate for a satellite Ducati MotoGP seat in 2027.
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