Bulega on his younger self: “It looked as though I could take on the world”

Nicolo Bulega’s career lay in tatters when, after three unsuccessful years in the Moto2 World Championship, he was taken under the wing of Aruba boss Stefano Cecconi and secured a place in the Supersport World Championship for 2022. What followed reads like a fairy tale: after finishing 3rd and 1st in the middleweight class, the Italian was promoted to Ducati’s factory Superbike team in 2024, with whom he has since secured 2nd, 2 and 1 in the World Championship, as well as 89 podium finishes in 105 races, including 49 victories.

Although there are still three rounds of the 2026 Superbike World Championship to be contested this coming weekend at Jerez, champion Bulega has already secured a number of key records. He has won 29 races in a single season; the previous record, set by Alvaro Bautista in 2023, stood at 27. Bulega has triumphed in all three races at nine of the eleven events held so far this season and has also set a new record with 664 points. No rider before him has achieved 44 consecutive podium finishes across multiple seasons; in terms of podium finishes in a single season (33), only Jonathan Rea is ahead of him – the Northern Irishman managed an astonishing 34 on a Kawasaki in 2019.

Nico Bulega: “I’ve changed a lot of things in my life”

“There are many riders who get off to a very strong start in their careers and then fall back a bit for various reasons,” said Nicolo. “Afterwards, they struggle to make a comeback. That’s my story too. When I joined the World Championship, it looked as though I could take everything by storm, but then I made a lot of mistakes and perhaps wasn’t ready for a top-level championship. I needed a fresh start to be able to believe in myself again. To do that, I needed lots of people close to me who support me, believe in me and spur me on every day. I’ve changed a lot of things in my life to get to this point.”

Bulega has some advice that applies to everyone: “When difficulties arise in your life, try to give it your all. When you go to bed at night, if you’ve done everything in your power during the day, then you’ll be at peace with yourself. The important thing is never to give up. And sometimes you have to do things you’ve never dared to do before – to improve your results, when we’re talking about sport.”

Bulega has signed a MotoGP contract with Valentino Rossi’s VR46 Ducati team for 2027 and 2028 and will share the pit with Fermin Aldeguer. That’s when the next stage of his career begins.

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