SBK, the strengths of the new Ducati and Toprak's departure: the interview with Bulega (VIDEO)

Bulega needs more mileage with the 2026 Panigale V4 R, but the potential looks good: the Ducati rider’s statements.

This evening at the Aruba Auditorium in Ponte San Pietro, the Aruba.it Racing Ducati team presentation took place. The spotlight was especially on Nicolò Bulega, who, after finishing Superbike world vice-champion over the past two years, wants to claim the world crown in 2026. It’s obvious to label him as the favorite, but these things matter little— the track will do the talking. He’s a grounded guy and knows perfectly well he can’t relax; there are rivals on the grid ready to take advantage.

Bulega was interviewed by Giuseppe Ferrara, Corsedimoto’s correspondent at the Aruba Ducati event, and spoke about the qualities of the new Panigale V4 R: "Unfortunately, this winter we didn’t ride much and I have to refer more to the 2025 test we did after the last race. I felt good; it’s a completely new bike, but we got off to a good start. The wings generate an aerodynamic effect that allows you to keep the bike more planted both in corners, to carry more speed, and under acceleration, to reduce wheelies."

Braking and acceleration should be improved with Ducati’s new gem. Bulega hopes to be even more competitive in the 2026 Superbike World Championship: "Surely something we lacked in the fight against Toprak Razgatlioglu was braking. The bike we had up until last year was excellent, but in some areas it was a bit limited, perhaps due to the single-sided swingarm. I hope that with the double-sided swingarm it can give us what was missing in 2025. It also helps with acceleration; the bike is more stable when you open the throttle. Let’s hope for the best—right now I can’t say much more, because we haven’t ridden that much."

Bulegas was also asked about the absence of Toprak Razgatlioglu, who from 2026 races in MotoGP and therefore will no longer be his rival for the SBK title: "I’m sorry he’s not there—he replies—because I had a lot of fun over the last two years. I learned a lot with him. Initially, I was a rookie and had everything to learn, whereas he had already won a world title years earlier and then proved incredibly strong with BMW. I’m proud to have fought with him and that he’s now in MotoGP; for me, having him on track was always a motivation. Now that he’s gone, I’ll still try to do my best, as I always have."