From Superbike to MotoGP: Bulega and Razgatlioglu meet again at the Valencia test

From Superbike battles to the MotoGP test, Bulega and Razgatlioglu are ready to share the track again.

Over the past two years, the main protagonists of the Superbike World Championship have undoubtedly been Nicolò Bulega and Toprak Razgatlioglu. The titles went to the Turkish rider, but the Italian has proven to be a top rider and in 2026 he will try to become champion with the new Panigale V4 R. His rival won’t be there, as he will race in MotoGP with the Prima Pramac Yamaha team. However, even Bulegas himself will be dealing with the top class in 2026, as he will be a Ducati MotoGP test rider. The two already crossed paths in Valencia last weekend and on Tuesday they will also share the track for the test.

As fate would have it, Bulega debuted in MotoGP before Razgatlioglu, since Ducati called him in to replace the injured Marc Marquez. The SBK rider raced both in Portimao and Valencia, earning a total of 2 points. But results weren’t exactly his goal; he mainly aimed to rack up miles and experience with a Desmosedici GP25 he practically didn’t know. In the Jerez test he did around thirty laps, not many.

The Emilian rider, fifteenth in the race at Ricardo Tormo, said he was overall happy with his first taste of MotoGP, even though he discovered a world very different from Superbike and very difficult: "In the warm-up we made a change to the bike and I felt better, with more grip. The start wasn’t the best, having to ride up to Turn 5 with the front fork lowered. Then unfortunately I struggled to find grip, especially at the rear, and on acceleration. In any case, I’m fairly satisfied with this experience: I debuted at the penultimate race of the season and the level is very high. On Tuesday, during the test, I’ll try to take a step forward by riding as much as possible and increasing my confidence on the bike."

Bulega will ride in Tuesday’s MotoGP test in Valencia and, of course, so will Razgatlioglu. The latter had the chance to try the M1 at Aragon last Monday, a shakedown in preparation for the proper test at Ricardo Tormo. It will be his first comparison with the rest of the top-class riders and, for that reason, we shouldn’t expect too much in terms of lap times. He has a lot to learn.

In the Prima Pramac Yamaha garage, he will work with Alberto Giribuola as crew chief. The Italian engineer had worked with Enea Bastianini (KTM Tech3) for much of the 2025 MotoGP season, then the split suddenly came. Now it will be up to him to accompany the Turk in this new and complicated challenge. It’s worth noting that it has been confirmed Toprak will use the number 7, since his “historic” 54 is already taken by Fermin Aldeguer. It’s not a new number for him; he already used it when he was very young.