Bulega showing up to the World Championship round in a Lamborghini is a slap in the face to Superbike's identity

Nicolò Bulega has the Superbike World Championship in his sights and arrives in Cremona, the second Italian round, with the clear intention of finishing the job with two events to spare. To avoid any risk, he skipped last Monday’s MotoGP tests at Zeltweg, after the warning bell rung four days earlier in the heavy crash at Arrabbiata 2 at Mugello, still preparing for 2027 with the Pirelli-shod Ducati 850.

From the lofty perch of 26 wins in 27 races collected in this triumphant season, Bulega will arrive at the circuit behind the wheel of a brand-new Lamborghini Temerario, a supercar worth €320,000 with 920 horsepower—four times that of the Ducati Panigale V4 R he’ll ride on track. The idea started as a joke; Lamborghini is part of the Audi group just like Ducati, so broadly speaking it all lines up. But, at first glance, rather than a cool stunt it looks like an operation far removed from the identity of the championship Bulega is about to win.

Before arriving at the circuit, the future MotoGP rider picked up the Temerario at the Lamborghini headquarters in Sant’Agata Bolognese, in the presence of Ducati Sporting Director Mauro Grassilli and Francesco Milicia, former global Head of Sales and After Sales at Borgo Panigale who recently joined Lamborghini as Marketing Director. This move would be understandable in F1 or MotoGP, but exported to Superbike it clashes quite a bit. There are several reasons.

To begin with, Superbike was born as the “motorcyclists’ championship.” Back in the day, a good portion of the crowd arrived at the circuit riding the same bikes as the champions out there. The identification was total. Bulega showing up in a Lamborghini is the antithesis of that spirit. It’s true that times change; road-going hypersport bikes aren’t as popular anymore and nowadays most people do arrive by car. But identity is a rare commodity: if Superbike is no longer “the celebration of motorcycles,” what has it become?

Another point. The Superbike World Championship developed in contrast to Grand Prix racing also for reasons of “class.” GPs were exclusivity; Superbike was total accessibility—fans close to riders, pit boxes, and technicians. The Monza eves, with thousands of people in the paddock and on the thresholds of the garages, were an explosion of passion. Bulega-in-Lamborghini is a perfect F1 image; in fact, the move was inspired by Lewis Hamilton as a Lambo testimonial at the Italian GP. But in Cremona, among a crowd that travels and spends to see motorcycles and motorcycle riders, what does that have to do with anything? Finally, let’s gloss over the conflict with the car brand that is among the main sponsors of WorldSBK, a Japanese marque advertising an electric car. Here we’re talking about Lamborghini getting free media attention instead of the sponsor footing the bill. One wonders how happy the promoter and, above all, the sponsor are...

Fortunately, even these days, the time eventually comes to hit the track. The 26-year-old arrives at the Cremona Circuit to play his second World Championship match point, crowning a dominance—his and Ducati’s—that has become almost embarrassing for the opposition. Nicolò Bulega will be the second Italian rider to claim the Superbike title after Max Biaggi, who was world champion twice, in 2010 and 2012, with Aprilia. He will unseat former rival Toprak Razgatlioglu, who after Superbike glory is now licking his wounds in MotoGP. On Sunday evening he’ll go celebrate at the wheel of the Temerario.

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