Nicolo Bulega set for MotoGP tryout at Jerez

Ducati has confirmed 2025 WorldSBK runner-up Nicolo Bulega will make his MotoGP debut as part of a test at the Angel Nieto Jerez circuit, in Spain.

The Italian brand also says that following Bulega’s tryout, it will then announce a replacement for nine-time world champion Marc Marquez, who will miss the remainder of the 2025 campaign.

Ducati announced on Thursday, 23 October, that Marquez would miss the rest of this season due to his injured right collarbone. But it did not confirm test rider Michele Pirro as his fill-in during the same press release.

Instead, Ducati looks to be opening the door for Bulega to get that job, which makes sense as he will also be part of the company’s MotoGP development team from 2026. Not to mention Bulega is now twice a WorldSBK runner-up over the last two years to Toprak Razgatlioglu.

Bulega has been very impressive ever since he joined the championship in 2024. But with Razgatlioglu joining Yamaha in MotoGP next season, the Italian will now be the firm favourite to pick up his first WorldSBK crown in 2026.

If Bulega is selected as Marquez’s replacement following his MotoGP tryout at Jerez, he could end up racing at both Portimao (Portugal) and Valencia (Spain), which are the final two rounds of 2025.

Lenovo Ducati Team Manager, Davide Tardozzi, said this about Bulega’s upcoming test: 

“It's something that we'll do because we want him to be confident with the bike because of his 2026 job, where he will help us develop the new bike. So having him know about the 1000cc bike is something that can help him in the future. Then after the test we will decide what to do for the next two races. The test will be in Jerez. It's something that we would like to do, we are still discussing with him. But it's something that we think could be better but everything will be decided after this race."

WorldSBK riders have had varied success when switching to MotoGP, but what history has told us is that we shouldn’t have too high expectations. That’s despite Bulega being a brilliant rider in his own right.

The last rider to take on MotoGP as a WorldSBK rider was Remy Gardner, who finished 17th, 18th and 19th in his three appearances last year. The year before, two-time WorldSBK champion Alvaro Bautista was 17th in Malaysia for Ducati. This just highlights how difficult it is to be competitive in MotoGP when you’re not a full-time rider. 

That’s without mentioning that Gardner and Bautista both had extensive experience of racing in MotoGP before that, which Bulega does not as he would be a rookie in the class should he get the role as Marquez’s replacement. 

If we go back to 2012, Jonathan Rea was drafted in by Honda to compete in two MotoGP races, finishing eighth and seventh on those occasions.

However, that was a long time ago and MotoGP has changed quite a bit since then, mainly with how close all the bikes are in terms of competitiveness. The level of talent has also deepened throughout the entire grid, making the splits between riders a lot less obvious.

Photo credit - Gold and Goose

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