Nicolo Bulega told he only has to do one thing to land 2027 MotoGP seat after signing new Ducati deal

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Nicolo Bulega has taken a step closer to MotoGP after signing a new deal with Ducati. The World Superbikes leader will now form part of their test team.

Bulega’s contract was due to expire at the end of the season, but Ducati announced on Tuesday that he’d signed a one-year extension. He will also join Michele Pirro in developing their Grand Prix bikes.

2027 would be the ideal time for Bulega to realise his MotoGP dream. The major regulation changes will lessen the importance of experience, and he will also be able to race on familiar Pirelli tyres.

Bulega’s title rival Toprak Razgatlioglu is also set for a MotoGP switch, but in 2026. Pramac are expected to announce the signing of Razgatlioglu at Mugello next time out.

Nicolo Bulega must now give Ducati ‘desired feedback’ in MotoGP testing as he eyes 2027 seat

According to a report from GPOne, Bulega will ‘probably’ jump to MotoGP in 2027. That would explain the short-term nature of his WSBK extension.

Most of the current grid are out of contract at the end of next year, so there’s likely to be a reshuffle. Bulega didn’t score a podium across three seasons in Moto2 but he’s established himself as a top-level talent in the sister discipline.

However, GPOne report that Bulega must also give Ducati the ‘desired feedback’ in his test sessions to earn a Grand Prix contract. They’ll naturally be watching his lap times, but they’ll also observe how he communicates with the engineers.

That will be a marker of his readiness to race at the highest level. Razgatlioglu struggled during Yamaha tests in 2023, but the feeling is that he was under-prepared.

Nicolo Bulega’s Ducati contract extension is a blow to one MotoGP rival

Where would Bulega end up in MotoGP? It’s probably unlikely that he jumps straight into the factory team, even amid rumours around Francesco Bagnaia’s future.

Neither Franco Morbidelli nor Fabio di Giannantonio have been hugely impressive at satellite team VR46 this season. Both have been outshone by Alex Marquez at Gresini.

Crucially, Bulega is a product of Valentino Rossi’s academy, making him a natural fit for The Doctor’s team. He will have a head start on his competitors when it comes to both the tyres and the 850cc machinery because he won’t be subject to the same testing restrictions.

Rivals Aprilia were hoping to sign Bulega, according to some media chatter, but they’ve now lost out. Massimo Rivola is assessing some big-name replacements for wantaway world champion Jorge Martin.