BULEGA’S FUTURE CONFIRMED: The #11 secures MotoGP seat for 2027 with VR46 Ducati

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) will move from the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship to MotoGP in 2027 after inking a deal with the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team. After competing in Moto3 and Moto2 earlier in his career, the #11 found his way into WorldSSP and WorldSBK, where his performances have caught the eye, earning him a spot on the 2027 MotoGP grid.

BULEGA’S FIRST FORRAY INTO THE MOTOGP PADDOCK

‘Bulegas’ started his international career in the 2014 Moto3 Junior World Championship, finishing sixth in the standings with two podiums to his name. He won the title the following year ahead of Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team), and that secured Bulega – who was running the #46 at the time – a move into Moto3. He raced for the Sky Racing Team VR46 outfit in 2016 and finished seventh in the standings with two rostrums, behind several current MotoGP stars, including two-time Champion Pecco Bagnaia. However, results tailed off for Bulega, and he scored just 99 points across 2017 and 2018.

MOVING INTO MOTO2

Despite the results falling away from what he had shown he could do, Bulega moved into Moto2 for 2019 and started off with two top-ten finishes in his first five races. He eventually finished the year in 17^th place in his final year with the Sky Racing Team VR46 squad. For his second Moto2 campaign in 2020, the Italian rider moved to Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 and finished 20^th in the standings, before finishing in 26^th the following year - 2021 would prove to be his final campaign in Moto2.

REBUILDING IN WORLD SUPERSPORT

Bulega’s career in the prototype Championship had come to a temporary end, but he found a new home at the Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team in 2022 and was impressive with the Panigale V2. Nine podiums came in 2022 before he dominated the following season with 16 wins from 24 races in 2023 as he claimed the title; Ducati’s first in WorldSSP and he would move into WorldSBK in 2024.

QUICKLY IMPRESSING IN WORLD SUPERBIKE

Bulega wasted no time in getting up to speed in WorldSBK, winning his first race at Phillip Island and finishing his rookie year in second place with six victories; he finished as runner-up behind Toprak Razgatlioglu. It was a similar story in 2025, although this time the 26-year-old claimed 14 wins and was only off the podium in four races; two due to a technical problem, one after being taken out at Turn 1 at Misano and the final one due to a poor tyre choice at Balaton Park. He pushed Razgatlioglu all the way, with ‘El Turco’ claiming the title in the final race of the season.

BULEGA GRABS HIS CHANCE

After impressing in WorldSBK, Bulega got a chance to race in the Portuguese and Valencian Grands Prix at the end of the year in place of Marc Marquez, scoring points in both GPs. However, it’s his 2026 campaign in WorldSBK that has taken the world by storm: he made history with a run of 21 consecutive wins at the start of 2026s, as he marches towards a first WorldSBK crown. That has helped him earn a seat with the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team squad for 2027, on the new Pirelli-shod 850cc machines; he has been a test rider for Ducati as part of their development programme under the new technical regulations. It means he has come full circle in his career, while he’ll also be reunited on-track with Razgatlioglu as the pair look to continue their rivalry.

“WE WILL ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL TO HIM AND WILL ALWAYS CHEER FOR HIM”

Stefano Cecconi, Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Team Principal, said about Bulega’s departure at the end of the year: “When we chose Nicolo, we knew we were investing in a young rider with great talent, but the journey we have shared has continued to exceed expectations. His progression makes us particularly proud because it confirms the team’s philosophy: believing in hard work, in riders’ growth, and in the ability to build important results step by step. Nicolo has integrated into the team exceptionally well and become part of our sporting family. He has earned everyone’s trust and affection through professionalism and respect. We will always be grateful to him and will always cheer for him. Before that, however, there is still one mission to complete, so we can celebrate this wonderful adventure in the best possible way.”

“I’M HAPPY TO REACH THIS GOAL, EVEN IF IT TOOK ME A LITTLE LONGER”

Discussing his move to MotoGP, Bulega said: “Making it to MotoGP is a dream, because I will make my debut with the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team. I chose this team because I’ve always been linked to them: I was in the VR46 Riders Academy when I was a child, so I know everyone very well. So, making this step with people I know is easier from a human perspective. Moreover, they are all extremely professional. When I started to race, I had the dream of arriving to MotoGP. Then, for many reasons, my career took a different path: I moved to WorldSBK, when I focused build a successful career. But these years have gone far beyond my expectations, so we thought about making this step up to the premier class. I’m happy to reach this goal, even if it took me a little longer and I did a different journey compared to the usual one. For sure, it’s amazing and I’m very proud. Now, I don’t want to set any goals, I want to try to do well, take it one race at a time, especially at the beginning, and do the best job possible. I want to thank the entire VR46 Racing Team, Ducati Corse and Aruba for making this possible.”

“WE TRUST HIM AND WE KNOW HE WILL BE ABLE TO FIGHT FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT GOALS.”

Pablo Nieto, Team Manager, added: “We complete next year’s line-up with Nicolo Bulega, a rider who always proved to be very talented and determined. His journey has not been always easy, but he is dominating the WorldSBK: he has proved he deserves a place in MotoGP. Next year the regulations will change, and we will all start from zero. For sure, his experience with the WorldSBK tyres and the test with the new Ducati Desmosedici GP as a Ducati test rider will help him adapting well to the new category and making this journey as easy as possible. We trust him and we know he will be able to fight for the most important goals.”

Alessio Salucci, Team Director, stated: “We are very happy to welcome Nicolo to the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team. We’ve known him for many years, he started his career with us, and we achieved great results together. Over the years, both him and the team have been growing a lot, and now we are here to make great things together. We know he is a very talented rider since he was younger, and he proved that both in the past and currently, by dominating WorldSBK. I think he is ready to embark this new journey with maturity and awareness. We are very proud to have him in our Team, and we will give him the maximum support possible to help him achieve all his goals together.”

“WE THINK THE RIGHT MOMENT TO EMBARK THIS NEW CHALLENGE HAS ARRIVED”

Speaking for Ducati, Gigi Dall’Igna, Ducati Corse General Manager, said: “We are very happy to renew our agreement with Nicolo and to welcome him to the MotoGP Ducati project from next season. During these years, he proved to be a very talented rider, capable of growing consistently, making the most of our bikes and reaching an extremely high level of competitiveness. His journey confirms he is a rider with a solid and successful present, but at the same time, with a very promising future. We think the right moment to embark this new challenge has arrived. The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team is the ideal environment to support him during his adaptation to MotoGP, and we are convinced that he will have all the tools he needs to express his potential at his maximum. The new challenge will have to wait: for now, the focus is still the WorldSBK Championship. Nicolo is having a great season and now it’s time to focus all the work on just one goal: fighting together for the World Championship title. Finally, I would like to thank the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Team for all the work they did together with Nicolo during these seasons. They were the first to believe in him, and the growing path that brought him to be ready for the MotoGP is the result of a shared commitment, the hard work of the team and the determination that Nicolo could show year by year.”

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