Nicolo Bulega on his MotoGP promotion: “It took a bit longer”

It’s now official: Nicolo Bulega will become a full-time MotoGP rider in 2027. The 26-year-old Italian is moving from Aruba.it Ducati in the World Superbike Championship to the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Team, where he will be team-mate to Fermin Aldeguer. He will take over from Franco Morbidelli, who in turn will take Bulega’s place at Aruba in the production-based championship.

For Bulega, this marks the fulfilment of a dream that at times seemed almost out of reach. His career had originally followed the traditional path through the Grand Prix paddock. However, after a difficult spell in Moto3 and Moto2, he switched to the Supersport World Championship in 2022, taking a completely different direction.

“When I started racing, I dreamt of making it into MotoGP,” recalled Bulega. “Then, for various reasons, my career took a different turn. I moved to the World Superbike Championship and focused on building a successful career there.”

Nicolo Bulega erlebte in der Moto3 und Moto2 einige schwierige Momente

Foto: Gold & Goose

Bulega himself had not expected that this detour would ultimately lead him to MotoGP years later. In the World Supersport Championship, the former VR46 Academy rider got back on the road to success. In 2023, he won the world title with Ducati, thereby earning himself a promotion to the Superbike works team.

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There, he immediately established himself amongst the world’s best. In each of his first two Superbike seasons, Bulega finished as runner-up in the world championship. In the current season, he is dominating the championship: of the 27 races so far, Bulega has won 26 and is well on course for the world title. “These years have gone far better than I expected,” admitted Bulega. “That’s why we’ve been thinking about making the move up to the premier class.”

Bulega: “I’m very proud”

For the Italian, the move holds special significance because it sees him return to old colleagues at VR46. Bulega was already part of the VR46 Riders Academy as a young rider and competed in the Moto3 World Championship with Valentino Rossi’s team. In 2019, he also contested his first Moto2 season for VR46.

Nicolo Bulega auf der MotoGP-Ducati

Foto: gold & goose

“Reaching MotoGP is a dream – and I’ll be making my debut with the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Team,” said a delighted Bulega. “I chose this team because I’ve always had a connection with them. I was part of the VR46 Riders Academy even as a child, so I know everyone very well.”

He sees this as a particular advantage as he makes his entry into the premier class. “Taking this step with people I know is easier from a personal point of view. What’s more, they’re all extremely professional.” Bulega now looks back on his unusual career path with pride and is looking forward to the MotoGP adventure: “I’m happy to have achieved this goal, even if it took a little longer and my path was different from the usual one. It’s incredible and I’m very proud.”

No ordinary MotoGP rookie

However, Bulega will not be entering completely uncharted territory in 2027. Ducati has already employed him as a MotoGP test rider. At the end of 2025, he also stepped in for the injured Marc Marquez in the Ducati works team for the last two races of the season, gaining his first racing experience on the Desmosedici.

His testing work for the new 850cc generation is likely to be even more valuable. Bulega is already involved in the development of the Ducati prototype for the 2027 regulations. He is also very familiar with Pirelli tyres from production-based racing. Pirelli will replace Michelin as the official tyre supplier for MotoGP from next season.

For his first full MotoGP season, Bulega does not wish to set himself any specific targets for the time being. “I don’t want to set myself any targets right now,” emphasised the future VR46 rider. “I want to try to do a good job and take it one race at a time, especially at the start. I just want to do the best job I can.”

Salucci: “He’s ready for this new journey”

VR46 team director Alessio Salucci also believes Bulega is now ready for the premier class. He has known the Italian since his early years. “We are delighted to welcome Nicolo to the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Team,” explained Salucci. “We’ve known him for many years. He began his career with us and we’ve achieved some great results together.”

Since then, both sides have developed considerably. “Both he and the team have grown significantly over the years. Now we’re here to achieve great things together.” Salucci has never had any doubts about Bulega’s talent anyway. “We’ve known since he was a youngster that he’s a very talented rider. He’s proven that both in the past and now, by dominating the Superbike World Championship.”

Alessio «Uccio» Salucci

Foto: Schiel

Above all, the personal development of his former young rider gives the VR46 team director cause for optimism: “I think he’s ready to embark on this new journey with the necessary maturity and awareness.”

In 2027, this journey will finally take Bulega to where he wanted to be right from the start of his career. However, the path to MotoGP did not lead via Moto3 and Moto2 as originally planned, but via Supersport and Superbike. It is precisely this detour that makes Bulega’s rise one of the most unusual MotoGP stories of recent years.