MotoGP: The Nicolo Bulega whirlwind and Ducati's 'compensation' for VR46

The arrival of Nicolò Bulega on the 2027 MotoGP chessboard was anything but painless. In fact, it disrupted the plans of Valentino Rossi and his VR46, triggering a chain reaction.

The move to the top class by the Superbike dominator is not an impulsive one but a project Ducati Corse launched over a year ago. The first step was to prevent Nicolò Bulega from ending up at BMW in place of Toprak Razgatlioglu. To fend off the German courtship, the Italian brand had to put a substantial salary on the table—at least by Ducati’s usual Superbike scale: €700,000 per year, with the addition of a 2027 MotoGP option. For comparison: Álvaro Bautista, who won two World Championships with the Panigale, was around €300,000 (plus bonuses), while Iker Lecuona this year doesn’t reach €200,000.

Ducati’s intent initially clashed with the whirling dynamics of a MotoGP rider market that’s been turbulent since last October. With Pedro Acosta’s signing secured, for several months Nicolò Bulega was virtually earmarked to replace Marc Márquez in the factory team, should the Spanish ace have decided to retire. When MM93 emerged from the injury tunnel and began negotiating a two-year renewal (announced two days ago), the thorny need arose to find a free seat for Bulega. The Gresini Racing hypothesis wasn’t even considered, for various reasons. The only option was VR46, and Fabio Di Giannantonio helped clear the path a bit by choosing KTM for a higher salary rather than staying a Ducati factory rider at VR46. But it was far from a done deal...

In the meantime, Ducati Corse had already “placed” Fermín Aldeguer at VR46, contracted directly with the parent company, even if this season he’s on loan to the Gresini team. The only remaining seat—the one vacated by Fabio Di Giannantonio—would have been as vital as air for Valentino Rossi, for two reasons. First: to extend Franco Morbidelli’s MotoGP career; he is managed by Massimo Falcioni, one of VR46’s closest collaborators. Second, alternatively: to accommodate his brother Luca Marini, on his way out of Honda HRC, thus avoiding what appears to be him having to settle for being a super-luxury test rider for the Japanese giant.

To place Nicolò Bulega at VR46, and go against the immediate and specific interests of the clan, Ducati had to deploy its finest diplomatic skills. We’re not talking only about political savvy, but obviously also about money. In 2027, Rossi will have two riders at zero cost, because Aldeguer’s and Bulega’s salaries are entirely covered by Ducati Corse. Moreover, the team will enjoy an even more factory-level treatment, because Aldeguer is a full-fledged factory rider (as Di Giannantonio is this year), and so is Bulega, who in addition is the rider who has spent the most time on the 850 shod with Pirellis. He has therefore amassed a gigantic trove of data that will allow Nicolò to be the most “ready” among the six Ducati riders in 2027—more so than even Márquez and Acosta.

Franco Morbidelli’s move to Superbike with Aruba Ducati is the final cherry on this round of intersecting interests. The team is owned by Stefano Cecconi—now more than ever—but the Arezzo-born manager and owner of the IT multinational certainly won’t stand in the way of the overriding interests. So is everyone happy? Yes. But there’s more. After this intricate waltz of financial interests, power dynamics, and various conveniences, Ducati emerges even stronger, able to field a formidable lineup in MotoGP (Márquez, Acosta, Bulega, and Aldeguer as factory riders, plus Mir and Holgado with Gresini) while in Superbike there will be Lecuona and Morbidelli. The 2027 pieces have fallen perfectly into place.

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