Ducati’s 850cc MotoGP project shows promise as Bulega goes quickest
Just 20 laps were enough for WorldSBK star Bulega to show what he can do on Ducati’s future MotoGP racer.
Nicolo Bulega has wasted little time getting up to speed on Ducati’s future MotoGP machinery, with the WorldSBK title leader setting a benchmark 1m 47.2s lap during his first outing on the Italian firm’s 850cc prototype at Mugello.
Fresh from sealing a record 16th consecutive WorldSBK victory, the 26-year-old headed straight back to Italy to begin work on Ducati’s 2027 MotoGP project. According to GPOne.com, Bulega completed 20 laps during a private test and ended the day quickest, finishing 0.4 seconds clear of factory test rider Michele Pirro and 1.3 seconds ahead of KTM test rider Dani Pedrosa.
The test marked Bulega’s first proper run on the Pirelli-shod 850cc machine, which represents a key shift ahead of MotoGP’s upcoming regulation changes. While the outright lap time sits some way off the current Mugello qualifying record, a 1m 44.169s set by Marc Marquez on the existing 1000cc Michelin-equipped bikes, the early signs suggest Ducati’s next-generation package is already in a competitive window.
Bulega’s involvement with the project comes after he stepped in for Marquez during the closing rounds of last year’s MotoGP campaign, earning himself a role in Ducati’s longer-term development plans alongside his WorldSBK commitments.
Track time, however, was limited, with Ducati confirming that Bulega only rode on Monday afternoon, with poor weather wiping out further running on Tuesday and restricting the overall data haul for the Bologna factory.
Even so, his immediate pace will do little to harm his chances of stepping up full-time in 2027. That decision could ultimately depend on the future of Fabio Di Giannantonio, whose next move, whether to remain with VR46 or pursue a factory KTM ride, may dictate where, or if, Bulega fits into Ducati’s future MotoGP line-up.
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Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
