Bulega's MotoGP Debut: A Promising Start Amidst Steep Learning Curve

Following a commendable runner-up finish in the 2025 World Superbike Championship, Nicolo Bulega seized an unexpected opportunity to test his mettle on MotoGP machinery, joining the factory Ducati team for the Portuguese and Valencia Grands Prix.

The Italian rider stepped in as a substitute for reigning world champion Marc Marquez, whose season was prematurely cut short due to an arm injury sustained in Indonesia. Bulega managed to secure 15th place in both races. Given that these were the only points garnered by the title-winning team in Sunday races since Marquez’s absence, Bulega’s initial forays into MotoGP can be viewed favorably.

However, a closer examination of these results reveals several underlying factors that warrant consideration, even as they do not diminish Bulega’s commendable performance.

Preparation Challenges

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Bulega’s MotoGP debut could have potentially occurred as early as the Malaysian Grand Prix in October, which took place a week after the WSBK season finale in Jerez. However, the rider expressed his reluctance to participate in a race weekend without prior experience on a MotoGP bike, prompting Ducati to arrange a test session for him.

Ducati subsequently booked Jerez for two days to enable Bulega to familiarize himself with the GP25 bike before his anticipated debut at the Portuguese GP. Unfortunately, the first day of testing was marred by torrential rain, limiting Bulega to a mere 30 laps on the second day due to lingering wet patches on the track. Despite these setbacks, the limited mileage proved invaluable for the 26-year-old, ensuring that he did not arrive at Portimao entirely unprepared.

The Transition to MotoGP

Having arrived with a heightened level of preparedness for MotoGP, owing to the physically demanding nature of the Ducati Panigale V4 R he rode in WSBK, Bulega faced the challenge of adapting to the nuances of a MotoGP prototype. While a MotoGP machine is not drastically faster than a superbike, the riding style differs significantly, necessitating rapid adaptation.

Bulega had to contend with adapting to carbon brakes, comprehending a complex electronics package, and transitioning from his familiar Pirelli tires to Michelins. These factors presented a significant learning curve during his first Grand Prix weekend on the Desmosedici.

The most significant challenge Bulega encountered was in the braking zones, stemming from the switch to carbon discs and the characteristics of Michelin tires. Initially, Bulega attempted to brake on the GP25 as he would on a superbike, but the Michelin fronts proved unforgiving, and excessive braking at the wrong moment invariably led to front-end instability.

Portimao Debut: A Baptism of Fire

During his inaugural MotoGP weekend, Bulega struggled to ride naturally, as the Michelin tires failed to provide him with the necessary confidence to push his limits. He constantly reminded himself to refrain from braking as he would on a superbike, a habit that proved difficult to break.

After qualifying 18th on the grid due to a mistake on his final flying lap, Bulega’s Sprint race ended prematurely on lap 4 due to a crash.

However, 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, vindicating Ducati’s decision to select him over the seasoned Michele Pirro.

Valencia Progress: A Step Forward

Valencia presented a different set of challenges for Bulega. Unlike Portimao, Circuit Ricardo Tormo is not a regular fixture on the WSBK calendar, and Bulega had not raced there since his Moto2 days in 2021. This meant that he lacked recent track knowledge, but it also prevented him from carrying over WSBK-specific references that could have hindered his adaptation to MotoGP.

While still not entirely at ease on the GP25, Bulega acknowledged that he had made progress in certain areas, while others still required improvement. He also enhanced his braking performance, but felt that he was still losing time in the mid-corner and upon exiting turns.

This progress was evident in the timesheets, as Bulega managed to lap within 1.250s of polesitter Marco Bezzecchi in qualifying, a significant improvement from the over two-second deficit he faced in Portimao the previous week. However, the tightly packed field resulted in him starting from 22nd on the grid, ahead of only Yamaha tester Augusto Fernandez and Chantra’s Honda.

On Saturday, Bulega capitalized on the situation in the Sprint race, overtaking several full-time riders to finish in 16th place, a mere seven-tenths of a second behind Alex Rins’ Yamaha and three seconds adrift of his teammate Francesco Bagnaia.

He was expected to carry this momentum into Sunday’s race, but akin to Fabio Quartararo and Bezzecchi earlier in the weekend, he encountered difficulties disengaging the holeshot device at the start. This setback relegated him to 22nd place on the opening lap, with only Franco Morbidelli, who started from the pits following his 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 the early setback, Bulega managed to overtake Jorge Martin, Fernandez, and Chantra in the early stages of the race and benefited from retirements ahead of him 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 also found solace in the fact that three-time WSBK champion Toprak Razgatlioglu had encountered similar issues during a private test on the V4-powered Yamaha M1 at Aragon.

For Bulega, this served as confirmation that the problems he experienced were primarily attributable to the switch in machinery, rather than any personal deficiencies.

The Road Ahead: WSBK and MotoGP Aspirations

At the very least, the 26-year-old gained valuable experience from participating in two Grands Prix, experience that will undoubtedly prove beneficial as he embarks on his role as Ducati’s MotoGP test rider.

Despite a challenging previous stint in the Grand Prix paddock in Moto2, Bulega remains hopeful of returning to MotoGP in 2027, when Pirelli replaces Michelin as the official tire supplier and new regulations aim to bring MotoGP prototypes closer in line with superbikes. Bulega has consistently voiced his preference for Pirelli tires, and his expertise could be invaluable to Ducati as they develop a bike for the next-generation rules.

However, even as his involvement in MotoGP expands, his primary focus remains on WSBK. To secure a MotoGP seat, strong results in WSBK will be just as crucial as adapting to Grand Prix machinery. With Razgatlioglu’s departure from WSBK to join Pramac Yamaha next year, Ducati will be expecting Bulega to contend for the title at the third time of asking. Success in WSBK could position him as a strong candidate for a satellite Ducati MotoGP seat in 2027.

Nicolo Bulega’s Results