WorldSBK star addresses his future amid MotoGP rumours
Nicolo Bulega admits he would be disappointed if he fails to secure a MotoGP seat in 2027.
Ducati’s Nicolo Bulega believes he’s earned the chance to prove himself in MotoGP after winning 19 consecutive races in WorldSBK.
Most major motorsport championships have at some stage been dominated by an individual rider or driver, and WorldSBK is no different. Whether it’s six-time world champion Jonathan Rea, Alvaro Bautista, Toprak Razgatlioglu, or even the likes of Carl Fogarty in the mid 90s, the championship has seen many great riders put together long winning streaks at different points in time.
But what we’ve seen in 2026, together with the last four races of last season, has never been done before as Bulega has won 19 races on the bounce.
Unsurprisingly that’s brought about rumours of a switch to MotoGP, which Bulega was asked about at last weekend’s Czech round at the Autodrom Most circuit.
Following his latest win, Bulega said: “I think [that] now I deserve a chance in MotoGP. If I don’t get it, I don’t know. For sure, I will not be happy.”
Those comments make it clear that Bulega wants the move, and the 26-year-old, who is also part of the Ducati’s official MotoGP test team, has been linked with a switch to Valentino Rossi’s VR46 outfit.
However, factory HRC rider Luca Marini is also thought to be a contender for one of the team’s 2027 seats, which could come at the expense of Franco Morbidelli who has struggled for form this season.
Then there’s the future of Fabio di Giannantonio that still needs to be addressed, although the Catalunya GP winner is expected to leave Ducati altogether by joining the factory KTM team for the new 850cc era.
Spanish rider Fermin Aldeguer is expected to join VR46 next season, which could be as a replacement for di Giannantonio. This likely means Marini and Bulega are competing against each other for the second seat.
Rossi also made it clear at the Catalan Grand Prix that he wants at least one Italian rider on his bikes, so if Aldeguer does join the team, that won’t change how the team views Marini or Bulega. However, Marini does have family ties to Rossi which could end up being the deciding factor.
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After graduating with a sports journalism degree, Robert joined Crash.net to lead the WorldSBK coverage in 2021, while also providing MotoGP coverage. Fulfilling that role for over three years, Robert was able to put his knowledge about all things racing to the test.
