Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) has been a revelation since arriving in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship paddock, first in WorldSSP and then WorldSBK. A title contender immediately in 2024, ‘Bulegas’ has made big gains in his second season and currently leads the Championship by only nine points ahead of Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team). In this special sit-down interview, the Italian rider spoke about his new contract with Ducati, his time in WorldSBK with the Italian manufacturer and his fights with Razgatlioglu as they scrap it out for the title.

STAYING IN RED: “When I started to talk to my manager and other brands, I only said that our main goal was to stay with Ducati”

In the lead up to his home round at Misano, it was announced that Bulega would remain with the factory Ducati squad for the 2026 campaign while also taking up a role as a MotoGP™ test rider for the Bologna-based manufacturer. He discussed his new contract, revealing that ‘feeling at home from the first day’ was a big part of the reason he stayed with his current team despite having some ‘alternatives’.

On his contract renewal, Bulega stated: “I’m really happy to continue with Ducati and Aruba for one more year. I had some alternatives but my main goal from the first day was to stay with them because I remember my first test with them, I remember feeling at home from the first day. The feeling with the bike is the most important thing but the feeling with the team, with a lot of people you have to stay with all year, is very important. When I started to talk to my manager and other brands, I only said that our main goal was to stay with Ducati.”

TWO YEARS WITH DUCATI: “Last year, I didn’t start with the idea of fighting for the Championship… I know my rivals are very, very strong, but I know I can be strong too”

Bulega made his WorldSBK debut in 2024 and won his first race in the season opener, before taking five more victories and finishing second behind Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) in the standings. This season, ‘Bulegas’ has taken a huge step forward, nearly always fighting Razgatlioglu for wins at every circuit WorldSBK has visited so far. He reviewed his debut season in the Championship as well as looking ahead to this year’s goals, where he wants to beat last year’s P2 finish in the standings.

Bulega said: “Last year, I didn’t start with the idea of fighting for the Championship. It was a surprise for me to be so competitive until the last race. I won six races in my first year in WorldSBK; the first one was very special. The end of the season was also special. When I was arriving at a new track, confirming my speed, and gaining experience was important for me for 2025. The goal is trying to improve the position of last year. Only one can win and we’re here to try and do it. I think I don’t need anything special. I just need to stay calm, work like always and never give up. We know some circuits can be difficult, like Magny-Cours and maybe Estoril. Other circuits, like Aragon, Jerez, I can go fast. Until now, I’d evaluate my 2025 season as very good. We’ve had some victories, a lot of podiums and some pole positions and always at the front. I’m happy because we’re still fighting for the Championship, and this is my goal. This can be my year. I’ll try to do everything. I know my rivals are very, very strong, but I know I can be strong too. I started well and I continue doing well, being fast and strong. I hope this lasts until the end of the season.”

BOUNCING BACK FROM ASSEN DISASTER: “Sunday at Assen was the worst moment in WorldSBK for me… at Cremona, I had to recover some points”

In the Netherlands, Bulega had looked unbeatable until a tech issue in the Tissot Superpole forced him to retire. This meant he started Race 2 from tenth and, after fighting his way to the front of the field, had another technical issue which forced him to retire again. While Razgatlioglu had outscored him during the Dutch Round, the Turk’s P8 in Race 2 meant the gains he made were not as big as they might have been. Bulega responded next time out at Cremona, a circuit he revealed wasn’t his favourite, as he opened up the gap to ‘El Turco’ once again.

Looking back on the Assen disappointment and the Cremona success, the #11 stated: “Sunday at Assen was the worst moment in WorldSBK for me. My feeling with the bike was incredible, I was super-fast all weekend. I won Race 1 and then in the Superpole Race, I had a technical problem and then, in Race 2, when I was close to the victory, I had another technical problem. It was a very bad Sunday for us. I was very angry after Assen so, at Cremona, I had to recover some points. It was very difficult. Winning at Cremona was something out of my head. It’s my worst track and it’s difficult, I think, for our bike because there are very slow corners. I was so happy because it was difficult to imagine achieving that result.”

FIGHTING RAZGATLIOGLU: “Toprak is the biggest rival of my career…”

One key aspect of Bulega’s short WorldSBK career so far has been his battles with Razgatlioglu, including in his first season. They had an incredible scrap at Estoril, which Bulega won on the race to the line, while at Portimao this year, the duo couldn’t be separated at all. Heading to Most, traditional ‘Toprak territory’, Bulega was able to pass the BMW rider on the run to the line to deny Razgatlioglu a Most hat-trick.

Reflecting on his battles with Razgatlioglu, Bulega said: “I’m happy when I fight with Toprak. We always have great battles and never dirty, so this is important. I like to fight with him because I know he always knows what he’s doing. He’s nice. You have to be ready every turn because you can expect him to overtake you at every turn. You have to stay very focused. I’m happy when I’m fighting with him. I’m enjoying this season a lot. Toprak is the biggest rival of my career. I had many when I was in Moto3 and Moto2, but I never fought for the Championship. Toprak is the biggest rival. Toprak, next year, will go to MotoGP. He deserves this. From my side, it could be even more special to beat him this year, if I can beat him, I can say I beat a future MotoGP rider.”

Follow Bulega’s title challenge using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now 50% off!