Riders
Who is Nicolò Bulega? Meet MotoGP’s Newest Talent for 2027
Meet Nicolò Bulega, the 2026 World Superbike champion joining the VR46 Ducati team full-time in MotoGP for 2027.
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The MotoGP grid is one of the toughest sporting environments to break into, with only around two dozen seats available worldwide. So when a new name is announced, it’s always big news. For the 2027 season, one of those names is Nicolò Bulega, an Italian rider who has taken a fascinating and determined route to a full-time place in the premier class.
Who is Nicolò Bulega?
Nicolò Bulega is an Italian motorcycle racer who has been turning heads for years. Hailing from a country with a deep passion for motorbikes, Bulega was part of the famous VR46 Riders Academy, a programme set up by legendary nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi to nurture the next generation of Italian talent.
This connection to Rossi’s organisation has been a key part of his career from the very beginning. It provided him with world-class training and a clear path into the Grand Prix PaddockThe fenced-off working area behind the pits where teams, hospitality and motorhomes are based.Read the full guide →, the series of championships (Moto3, Moto2, and MotoGP) that are organised together on race weekends.
How did he get to MotoGP?
Bulega’s journey to a MotoGP seat hasn’t been a straight line. He started, like most, in the smaller categories. After winning the Moto3 Junior World Championship in 2015, he raced in Moto3 from 2016, taking two podiums in his rookie season, and then in Moto2 from 2019 to 2021. He never reached a Moto2 podium, though, and no MotoGP promotion came.
Instead of fading away, Bulega started again somewhere new. In 2022 he moved to World Supersport, the support class to the FIM Superbike World Championship (often called WorldSBK), and won its title in 2023 with 16 race wins. He then stepped up to WorldSBK itself. Both series use heavily modified versions of motorbikes you can actually buy in a showroom, unlike the purpose-built racing machines, or ‘prototypes’, used in MotoGP.
In WorldSBK, Bulega became a dominant force: he won the first 21 races of 2026 and clinched the 2026 World Superbike title. He also got a first taste of MotoGP at the end of 2025, when he stood in for the injured Marc Marquez at the factory Ducati team for two rounds, and he has tested Ducati’s new 850cc bike built for the 2027 rules.
What does he bring to MotoGP?
2027 is a year of big change in MotoGP. New rules bring smaller 850cc engines, and Pirelli replaces Michelin as the only tyre supplier. That plays to Bulega’s strengths: he has already logged laps on Ducati’s 2027 prototype, and he has spent years racing on Pirelli tyres in World Supersport and World Superbike.
His time in World Superbikes has also taught him to win week in, week out under pressure, and it will be fascinating to see how that translates to the unique demands of a MotoGP bike.
Which team is he joining?
In 2027, Bulega will race full-time in MotoGP with the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team, replacing Franco Morbidelli alongside Fermin Aldeguer. This is a homecoming for the Italian rider, reuniting him with the organisation that launched his international career. It’s a perfect fit, creating a powerful all-Italian story.
VR46 is an independent team that races Ducati bikes, often called a ‘satellite team’. For 2027, though, Bulega will be under contract to Ducati itself and ride a factory-specification bike, the same level of machinery as the official Ducati riders. It is the first time VR46 will run two factory bikes.
Why should a new fan follow him?
Nicolò Bulega’s story is one of resilience and a reminder that there isn’t just one path to the top. He faced setbacks in his early Grand Prix career, but had the determination to reinvent himself in another world-class championship and earn his place back on merit.
Watching how a rider from the world of Superbikes adapts to the unique challenge of MotoGP prototypes is always one of the most interesting stories of any season. For fans of Italian racing, an Italian rider on an Italian bike for an iconic Italian team is a dream combination.
Quick Takeaways
- Nicolò Bulega is an Italian rider who will race full-time on the MotoGP grid in 2027, after two stand-in rounds for Marc Marquez at the end of 2025.
- He is joining the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team, reuniting with Valentino Rossi’s organisation, on a factory-specification Ducati.
- He took an unusual path, winning the 2023 World Supersport title and then the 2026 World Superbike title.
- His experience on Pirelli tyres and Ducati’s 2027 prototype suits MotoGP’s big rule change that year.
Quick questions
- Q.What championship is Nicolò Bulega coming from?
- Nicolò Bulega is moving to MotoGP from the FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK), where he has been a dominant rider for Ducati and won the 2026 world title.
- Q.Has Nicolò Bulega raced in the MotoGP paddock before?
- Yes. He raced full-time in Moto3 and Moto2 from 2016 to 2021, and he made his MotoGP debut at the end of 2025, standing in for the injured Marc Marquez at the factory Ducati team for two rounds.
- Q.Which team will Nicolò Bulega ride for in MotoGP?
- He is confirmed at the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team for 2027, alongside Fermin Aldeguer. The team was founded by Valentino Rossi and races Ducati machinery, and Bulega will be under contract to Ducati on a factory-specification bike.
- Q.Why is joining the VR46 team significant for Bulega?
- It's a homecoming for Bulega, who is a graduate of Valentino Rossi's VR46 Riders Academy. The academy was instrumental in developing his talent and launching his career.