MotoGP: Nicolò Bulega deserves the premier class despite passport and geopolitics

There are moments in sport when talent stops being something abstract, intrinsic, and hidden. At a certain point it blossoms, taking shape as something visible and disruptive. That moment, for Nicolò Bulega, began two years ago, but it is now reaching its fullest expression.

The Aruba.it Racing - Ducati rider is redefining the boundaries of dominance in production-derived racing. He is literally making history in Superbike: record for consecutive wins, the Italian rider with the most races won. All of this in not even two and a half seasons.

The connection with the premier class of Grand Prix motorcycle racing, after all, is already well underway. Ducati has locked him in as a luxury tester for prototype development, and his two outings on the factory Red – when he was called to replace Marc Márquez at the end of 2025 – left good impressions. In the Jerez tests last October, his gradual adaptation to the rigid reactions of a MotoGP bike was confirmed by consistently lowering his lap times. It wasn’t a given to stop the clock under 1'38, two tenths quicker than Pol Espargaró, with very few kilometers under his belt. Modern MotoGP requires extreme sensitivity in tire and aerodynamics management, qualities Bulega has shown he possesses. The transition from production-based bikes to prototypes demands a less instinctive and aggressive braking style and corner setup. Something that is costing the other SBK phenomenon who made the big leap, Toprak Razgatlıoğlu. With his cleanliness and efficiency through the corner, Bulega is the most MotoGP-ready rider among those in Superbike.

The market for next season has already shaped up to be, as always, a complex domino. For Bulega, barring upsets, another experience with Ducati is on the horizon. Rossi recently stated he wants an Italian rider for his team (as opposed to the current two), naming him among the candidates alongside Vietti and Marini. There had also been talk of a possible move to Aprilia, on the Trackhouse side, should Borgo Panigale have persisted in hesitating. But with Di Giannantonio now certain to move to KTM, the VR46 duo is all but set. And Nicolò will be in MotoGP despite Liberty Media pushing to internationalize the championship at all costs, reducing the number of Italian and Spanish riders on the grid.

A political strategy with commercial motivations, of course: to conquer new markets in Asia, North America, and Northern Europe, management prefers to impose an (anachronistic) diversification of passports, prioritizing geographic quotas over technical merit. With the effect of sacrificing the latter on the altar of a global audience. Would another rider from the nation of the Motor Valley really be so detrimental? Certainly not if your name is Nicolò Bulega.

Nicolò has shown on track and in front of the microphones that he has completed his growth process. He has speed, a cool head, and the numbers on his side. Perhaps he only lacks a pinch of healthy cheekiness, that media-friendly spark so loved by Liberty Media. He will have the chance to work on it within the big MotoGP circus.