MotoGP 2027: VR46-Ducati confirms Nicolo Bulega as second rider

– Nicolo Bulega moves from the Superbike World Championship to MotoGP and will race for Valentino Rossi’s team in the 2027 season. VR46-Ducati confirmed the rider lineup for the future at the home race in Misano.

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Bulega will be teammates with Fermin Aldeguer, who is moving from Gresini to VR46. Aldeguer remains a Ducati factory rider and has a two-year contract. Bulega is said to have agreed to a one-year contract with an option for a second season.

With the move to MotoGP, Bulega is fulfilling a lifelong dream, and at the same time, a circle closes for him, as he already raced for VR46 in the smaller classes and was part of Rossi’s academy.

“The jump to MotoGP is a dream,” Bulega comments on his promotion and explains: “I chose this team because I have always been connected to it: As a child, I was in the VR46 rider academy, so I know everyone very well. From a human perspective, it is therefore easier to take this step with people I know. Besides, they are all extremely professional.”

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Bulega made the jump to MotoGP in an unusual way, as his Grand Prix career seemed to be over. In 2015, the Italian won the Moto3 Junior World Championship.

At the season finale in Valencia, he was allowed to present himself for the first time in the Moto3 World Championship with a wildcard from VR46. In 2016, Bulega’s first full season with the VR46 team followed.

Already in the fourth race, he achieved his first highlight with second place in Jerez. In autumn, another podium followed with third place in Motegi. As seventh in the world championship, he was the third-best rookie, just behind Joan Mir and Fabio Di Giannantonio.

However, Bulega’s form declined afterwards. In 2017, he secured a pole position but no podium and dropped back to twelfth in the world championship. In 2018, there were no highlights either; he scored points only four times.

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Nevertheless, VR46 trusted him and brought him into the Moto2 team in 2019 as a teammate for Luca Marini. Bulega stood in the shadow of the other Moto2 rookies Di Giannantonio, Enea Bastianini, and Jorge Martin.

At the end of 2019, the separation between the VR46 academy and Bulega occurred; he left Rossi’s team and moved to Gresini, but he still did not make a breakthrough in Moto2 in 2020 and 2021.

Thus, Bulega had to leave the Grand Prix paddock at the age of 22, but Ducati gave him a second chance. He was engaged for the new project in the Supersport World Championship with the Panigale V2.

In 2023, Bulega dominated the Supersport World Championship. Ducati promoted him to the Superbike World Championship. He won his first race immediately at Phillip Island but had to concede to BMW rider Toprak Razgatlioglu in the world championship in 2024 and 2025.

This season, Bulega dominates almost at will. Of the first nine race weekends, he won every race except one. At the end of September, he can use the first match point for the world championship title at the home race in Cremona.

“The years in WorldSBK have far exceeded my expectations, so we considered taking this step into the premier class,” says Bulega. “I am happy to have achieved this goal, even if it took a little longer and my path was different than usual. It is definitely great, and I am very proud.”

Alongside the title fight, the 26-year-old is already preparing for his first MotoGP season. Ducati engaged him as a second test rider alongside Michele Pirro to test the new 850cc Desmosedici with Pirelli tires. At the end of 2025, Bulega already completed two MotoGP race weekends as a substitute for Marc Marquez.

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