Three MotoGP winners are set to join in 2027: Bulega assesses their Superbike prospects

The Superbike World Championship grid is set to welcome some high-profile new additions for the 2027 season. With Brad Binder, Jack Miller and Franco Morbidelli, three MotoGP race winners are set to join the production-based world championship. But how quickly can the newcomers adapt to Superbikes? Championship leader Nicolo Bulega knows from personal experience the challenges of making the switch from the Grand Prix paddock to this production-based championship.

Binder will succeed Danilo Petrucci at BMW, whilst Miller will take over from Xavi Vierge at Yamaha. Morbidelli is moving to Ducati, where – of all people – he will be following in the footsteps of Bulega, who in turn is set to move up to MotoGP in 2027. After a difficult spell in Moto2, Bulega made his breakthrough in the production-based paddock. In 2023, he dominated the Supersport World Championship with Ducati, before going on to establish himself at the top of the Superbike World Championship as well. That is why the Italian knows that a change of category can certainly work in a rider’s favour.

Move to the SBK paddock saved Bulega’s career

“When I was racing in Moto2, my situation was very bad,” Bulega recalled during the recent race weekend at Magny-Cours. “I knew I had the pace in me, but I needed someone like this team to help me bring that pace back to the surface.”

Supersport-Weltmeister 2023: Nicolo Bulega

Foto: Gold & Goose

Whether Binder, Miller and Morbidelli will experience a similar effect in the Superbike World Championship depends, according to Bulega, largely on their individual riding styles. “If some MotoGP riders come here next year, it certainly won’t be easy because the bike is different. Perhaps your riding style suits a Superbike better, or perhaps a MotoGP bike.”

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This is precisely where the Ducati star sees a decisive factor in the success of the three newcomers. “Some riders may be better suited to the Superbike World Championship and others to MotoGP. We don’t all ride in the same way. It depends very much on how well you can adapt to the bike.”

The riders switching from MotoGP will face an additional challenge in 2027. Coinciding with their arrival, the Superbike World Championship will be switching from Pirelli to Michelin. Whilst Binder, Miller and Morbidelli are familiar with Michelin from MotoGP, Bulega emphasises that the tyres used in the two world championships will not be identical.

Nicolo Bulega befindet sich auf Kurs zum WM-Titel und fährt 2027 MotoGP

Foto: Gold & Goose

“Next year, the tyres will be supplied by Michelin, but they won’t be comparable to the Pirelli tyres used in the World Superbike Championship or MotoGP,” explained the Italian, who is also testing the new MotoGP Ducati with Pirelli tyres this year. “It will be similar for the new riders: the Michelin tyres from MotoGP won’t be the same as the Michelin tyres in the World Superbike Championship. But the DNA may at least be similar.”

The transition to the motorbikes is likely to be even more significant. “The motorbike is completely different. I think the change will be very similar to my own transition when they actually all take this step,” said Bulega.

No doubt about their talent

The World Championship leader has no doubts about the fundamental calibre of the three high-profile newcomers. Binder, Miller and Morbidelli have all already won MotoGP races. Bulega rates their potential for the World Superbike Championship accordingly highly.

“They’re certainly very strong riders. If you’re racing in MotoGP, you’re definitely good. If you’re not good, you don’t even get there in the first place,” emphasised the Ducati rider. “They were in MotoGP and won races, so they were fantastic. I think they can be even faster in the World Superbike Championship.”

Bulega himself is the best example of the fact that a move to the production-based World Championship does not necessarily mean a step backwards in sporting terms. However, he attributes his success less to being a fundamentally faster rider today than he was in his Moto2 days.

“I don’t think I’m faster, because I’m still the same person. But perhaps I understand better now when the time is right to ride fast,” explained Bulega. “I have more experience and understand how things work better. In the World Superbike Championship in particular, the electronics and how you work with them play a much bigger role than in Moto3, Moto2 and Supersport.”