Nicolò Bulega Set For MotoGP Switch With VR46
Aruba.it Racing – Ducati’s Nicolò Bulega. Credit: Zach MacKay
Nicolò Bulega is set to leave the WorldSBK paddock behind at the end of the 2026 season, making the long-awaited step into MotoGP with the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team for 2027.
The move marks the end of Bulega’s remarkable rise through the World Superbike ranks. After claiming the WorldSSP title with Ducati in 2023, the Italian made an immediate impact in WorldSBK, finishing runner-up in his rookie campaign before repeating that result in 2025. His performances have only gone from strength to strength in 2026, establishing Bulega as one of the championship’s standout riders.
Now, the 26-year-old will return to the MotoGP paddock but this time as a full-time premier-class rider.
Bulega is no stranger to Ducati’s MotoGP machinery. He stepped in for Marc Márquez during the final two rounds of the 2025 season and has continued working closely with Ducati throughout the 2026 season as a test rider playing an important role in the manufacturer’s development programme ahead of MotoGP’s major 2027 regulation switches.
Aruba.it Racing – Ducati’s Nicolò Bulega. Credit: Zach MacKay
His move to VR46 also represents something of a homecoming. Bulega previously formed part of Valentino Rossi’s VR46 structure during his Grand Prix career, making his return to the organisation particularly significant.
The timing could hardly be more intriguing, with MotoGP entering a new era in 2027 with 850cc machinery, Pirelli becoming the championship’s tyre supplier, and significant changes to aerodynamics and ride-height devices. Bulega’s extensive experience with Pirelli and Ducati could prove invaluable as he makes the transition.
Bulega’s arrival is expected to form part of a major reshuffle at VR46, where he will take over Franco Morbidelli’s place alongside Fermín Aldeguer.
For Bulega, however, the message is simple: the opportunity he has been pushing for has finally arrived.
After two seasons of fighting at the sharp end of WorldSBK and establishing himself as one of Ducati’s most valuable talents, the next challenge is the biggest of them all.
If his WorldSBK form is anything to go by, VR46 may have just found one of the most intriguing riders of the new era.
Aruba.it Racing – Ducati’s Nicolò Bulega. Credit: Zach MacKay
