From Balaton Park to Mugello, traveling on the back of a triple Superbike win toward the doorway leading to MotoGP. Nicolò Bulega carried out a test with the Ducati Desmosedici GP27 to help the Borgo Panigale technicians assemble the best package for next season, when the new 850cc prototypes with Pirelli tires will hit the track. For the 26-year-old rider from Emilia, barring any last-minute hiccups, a seat in the Top Class is on the way.
Negotiations underway for MotoGP
In four WorldSBK weekends Nicolò Bulega has taken twelve wins out of twelve, a clean sweep that can’t go unnoticed. Together with the four races won in the previous championship, he has racked up an impressive 16 consecutive victories, an absolute record previously held by Toprak Razgatlıoğlu, who stopped at 13. And the hot streak can keep stretching further and further. There’s a strong desire to seal the SBK world title mathematically and already focus on 2027 and the MotoGP class. Nothing is written yet, nothing is decided, but for the Aruba.it Racing Ducati standard-bearer, entry into the premier class of Grand Prix motorcycle racing is almost a done deal.
The final pieces are needed in an unusual rider market, where official announcements are lacking despite the MotoGP stars having already chosen their next destinations. There are still some vacancies, and one of them will rightfully go to Nicolò Bulega (with VR46?). The day after the MotoGP test at Mugello, we asked Alberto Martinelli—whose Meraki Sport Acceleration srl oversees Nicolò Bulega’s career management and more—how the situation stands.
How did this test with the Ducati MotoGP prototype go?
A good test, very happy, quite tired since he arrived by car from the race in Hungary, so he was a bit worn out. He has a great feeling with Ducati, because he knows it well, but above all he has a strong feeling with the tires, which are obviously still under development, but the base is that of the Superbike tires. He set a good lap time, but if he had had the whole day to ride he would have improved even more. Honestly, at this stage there’s no point in pushing just to set a time. Pirro did a bit of the dirty work, putting in the miles to test the engine and other things. Nicolò came in to provide feedback and optimize the technical package and performance.
Bulega has dominated this first part of the SBK championship. He deserves at least a chance in MotoGP...
We’re convinced as well that he deserves it, but we need to find the right fit. We’re confident. MotoGP is complicated, in the sense that there are balances to maintain, some nationalities are favored over others, there are many factors to align, but we are confident...
Will he continue with the Ducati brand?
Possibly yes, it has always been our priority. It seemed like an almost closed market, but the story shows that’s not the case. Apart from the big names who are placed, others are finding their seats and we’re right there. By Mugello almost all the pieces will fall into place; May will be a “hot” month.
Nicolò is dominating a championship that’s at times boring. What’s wrong with this Superbike World Championship?
It’s hard to give a single answer. You can’t blame Ducati if it’s the only manufacturer that truly believes today, has invested money, and has satellite teams—unlike BMW and Honda, who have been left without supporting teams. We all want spectacular races, and that’s tied to the caliber of the riders and the bikes on track. If you aren’t in the technical condition to fight, no matter how skilled the rider is, the results won’t come.
In our view, the anomaly lies in the fact that Ducati believes in Superbike, has invested, and assembled a team of engineers to develop the bike, while the other manufacturers aren’t doing the same. Yamaha has had an outdated bike for years; Honda and BMW have only two bikes on the grid. This is a strategic limitation. As for why the manufacturers aren’t investing like Ducati… honestly, I don’t know. The problem isn’t Nicolò—it’s that right now there aren’t manufacturers capable of fighting with Ducati.
If you like Corsedimoto’s content, you can select it as a preferred source by clicking here
Continue reading
You might also like
More news
Popular articles
Loading
