Toprak Razgatlioglu predicts how Nicolo Bulega will perform on his Ducati debut at Portuguese Grand Prix

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Nicolo Bulega will make his long-awaited MotoGP debut this weekend at the Portuguese Grand Prix, before his World Superbike rival Toprak Razgatlioglu.

Bulega will replace the injured Marc Marquez at Ducati for the final two races of the 2025 season at Portimao and Valencia. He was initially planned to replace Marquez at the Malaysian GP, but Bulega turned down Ducati, with Michele Pirro stepping in instead.

The Italian was fearful that a one-off appearance would not do him any good, seeing as he had never ridden a MotoGP bike before. Bulega’s manager is filled with ‘anguish’ over his lack of experience with the GP25.

However, Ducati have prepared the 26-year-old as much as possible, giving him a private test on the machine at Jerez. Now, he will make his MotoGP debut at the Portuguese Grand Prix.

Bulega’s first race in the premier class comes before his WSBK title rival Razgatlioglu, who will join Pramac Yamaha in 2026 on a multi-year deal. The pair battled for the 2025 Superbike championship, with the Turkish rider winning for BMW by 13 points.

Toprak Razgatlioglu hopes Nicolo Bulega can ‘aim for the top 10’ on his Ducati MotoGP debut

Ahead of Bulega’s debut in MotoGP, Razgatlioglu hopes that the Italian will enjoy his time racing with Ducati in the next two races. He wonders if he could break into the top 10 at Portimao, given his and the manufacturer’s strength at the circuit.

He told GPOne: “It is good for him. His career is improving year by year and he has a very good chance in MotoGP.

“We will see him in the last two races, the Ducati is very strong and I saw that he did not do badly in the test either. I hope he will have fun riding this weekend and also in Valencia.

“Can he aim for the top 10? I hope so, because he is very strong at Portimao and I think the Ducati is also doing very well on that track, as well as in general. I hope he will do a great job, because it is important for Superbike.”

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Nicolo Bulega from height to career

Nicolo Bulega knows what he must do with Ducati on his MotoGP debut

Many will be eagerly awaiting Bulega’s debut at Portimao. Razgatlioglu will be watching closer than anyone, as he will want to see how his WSBK rival fares on a MotoGP bike ahead of his switch in 2026.

While there is no denying that the Italian has talent, it will be important not to set expectations too high. He has to get accustomed to a new bike and Michelin tyres, different to the Pirelli rubber he is used to.

Bulega was considerably slower than Ducati teammate Pecco Bagnaia with his test time at Jerez. However, that is to be expected, with differing track conditions and Bulega’s inexperience being caveats.

Ducati have told Bulega to have fun during his two races with the team. Ultimately, it will be less about results, but about preparation for his testing role in 2026, although he could throw up a huge shock.