VR46–Nicolò Bulega: the team manager reveals his hand

The MotoGP rider market is delivering twists and turns in dribs and drabs. Kicking off the flurry of press releases was Ducati, which re-confirmed Marc Marquez and announced the arrival of Pedro Acosta in 2027. Gresini has just made official the signing of Dani Holgado, while VR46 is getting ready to reveal its hand: Fermin Aldeguer and Nicolò Bulega will form Valentino Rossi’s team’s new line-up starting next year.

Nicolo Bulega is living the season of a lifetime in the Superbike World Championship. The Ducati rider has won all 21 races held so far, establishing himself as the undisputed leader in production-derived racing. Borgo Panigale has decided to reward him with a promotion to MotoGP, a dream the rider from Emilia has long chased. Now the time is ripe for his entry into the Top Class, after various tests already carried out on the Desmosedici GP.

The 1999-born rider has long been working as an official Ducati test rider, thanks also to his deep knowledge of Pirelli tires, MotoGP’s new sole supplier starting in 2027. Team manager Pablo Nieto cannot yet confirm Bulega’s arrival for next season, but he knows the former VR46 Academy student very well. Together they won in the CEV; he followed him in Moto3 and Moto2, where he showcased his talent. Unfortunately, victory eluded him, preventing him from aiming for prime positions and the jump to MotoGP.

For Nicolò, this is a return to the VR46 orbit. "We worked with Nicolo when he was very young," Nieto recalled to Speedweek.com. "We built a team just for him for the Spanish championship, and he won the title with us. After that, he came with us to Moto3. We already knew then how great his talent was."

After moving from Moto3 to Moto2, Nicolò Bulega’s career took a different path. Following a rookie season in Moto2, in 2020 he moved from VR46 to Gresini, where he spent two difficult years. "I think he simply wasn’t ready for that level at the time," Nieto analyzed. "Now he has taken a huge step forward in the Superbike World Championship. The talent was always there. Today he is an excellent rider."

Now he is ready for the big return, to that MotoGP class he has never stopped pursuing with all his might. But beware of creating false expectations... "We must stay calm with young riders. In this paddock it’s extremely difficult to achieve something great. In the end, only a few riders fight for the world title. But even here, Nicolo has the potential for great success."

The fact that Bulega is currently working diligently on the new 850cc MotoGP bike as a Ducati test rider could play in his favor. Nicolò knows Pirelli tires very well, long used in SBK, and he is already gaining valuable experience with the bike. All that remains is to await the official announcement of his arrival and his debut on track. Another Italian rider is ready to thrill us.

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