How Nicolo Bulega’s lap times in Ducati MotoGP test at Jerez compare to Francesco Bagnaia

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Nicolo Bulega will replace Marc Marquez at the Portuguese Grand Prix after testing Ducati’s MotoGP bike at Jerez. Bulega is available for the end of the season after his World Superbikes campaign concluded.

Bulega travelled to Spain for a two-day test, but Wednesday’s running was disrupted by rain. With more favourable conditions on Thursday, he rode Ducati’s WSBK machine in the morning on Michelin tyres.

This was effectively a stepping stone to the MotoGP bike for Bulega, who’s used to Pirelli rubber. He then switched to the Desmosedici GP25 in the afternoon.

He did enough to convince Ducati that he’s ready to fill in for Marquez at Portimao and Valencia. The world champion has been ruled out for the rest of the year after undergoing shoulder surgery, with Michele Pirro taking over for the last two events.

Nicolo Bulega considerably slower than Francesco Bagnaia – but that’s to be expected

Motosan report that Bulega set a best lap time of 1:38.0 across three hours of running, beating highly-rated KTM test rider Pol Espargaro by two-tenths and Aprilia backup Lorenzo Savadori by 1.3 seconds.

But how does this compare to Francesco Bagnaia, the rider he’s set to partner in Portugal? Looking at qualifying for the Spanish GP in April, the two-time world champion’s best time was a 1:35.755.

That puts Bagnaia just over 2.2 seconds ahead of Bulega. It’s worth noting that the track conditions favoured the #63, with the circuit still carrying a bit of moisture on Thursday; that’s before accounting for any other variables.

And despite Bagnaia’s inconsistent form, Bulega won’t be expected to get close at first given that he barely has any experience on the motorcycle.

Nicolo Bulega’s manager fearful as Marc Marquez stand-in appearance looms

Perhaps a more realistic benchmark for Bulega is Pirro, who has finished 18th and 17th on his two outings. According to Motorsport Espana, Pirro fully understands why Ducati are keen to get Bulega on the bike.

Bulega, who finished runner-up in the WSBK standings behind new Pramac signing Toprak Razgatlioglu, has already been announced as a Ducati test rider for 2026.

Luigi Dall’Igna sees Bulega as an outside option for 2027, and his audition for a seat has already begun. It’s significant that MotoGP is switching to Pirelli rubber at the start of the new regulations.

Bulega’s manager is concerned about replacing Marquez because his rider won’t be able to show his ‘full potential’. But ultimately, the former Moto2 man may feel that he can’t turn down an opportunity of this magnitude.