Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) will have to wait a tiny bit longer to start his winter break, with Ducati confirming he’ll test at the Circuito de Jerez - Angel Nieto, Andalucia on the Ducati Desmosedici machine. The #11 is a Ducati MotoGP tester ahead of the new regulations that come into force in MotoGP in 2027, and this will give him the opportunity to understand the current bike as part of that role.

When Bulega’s renewal with the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team for 2026 was confirmed in June, it was also announced that he would become a tester for Ducati Corse, supporting Michele Pirro who has played a pivotal role in the Italian brand’s success in both MotoGP and WorldSBK in recent seasons. Now, Bulega will get a chance to test the Ducati Desmosdeici at Jerez, but could that also lead to a MotoGP debut for the 2025 WorldSBK runner-up?

Marc Marquez has been ruled out for the remainder of the year with a shoulder injury sustained at the Indonesian Grand Prix, with Pirro standing in for the 2025 Champion at Phillip Island and Sepang. However, Marquez’s replacement for the final two rounds of the season, at Portimao and Valencia, has not yet been named.

Speaking at Sepang during the Malaysian Grand Prix, Team Manager at the Ducati Lenovo Team, Davide Tardozzi, said: “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.”

At a recent WorldSBK test at Jerez, where Bulega was putting the 2026 Panigale V4R through its paces, the Italian said about the prospect of replacing Marquez: “I still haven’t received any calls. I know that there is this possibility, but going to MotoGP is difficult if you’re going just from WorldSBK and you’ve never tried a MotoGP bike in your life. I’m riding a Superbike for two years and I don’t have experience with carbon discs, MotoGP tyres, the bike has more power, all the devices are new for me. I think before thinking about racing, it’s better to try before and then if I have the possibility, why not?”

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