Marco Bezzecchi
Nicolo Bulega will make his MotoGP debut with Ducati at the Portuguese Grand Prix, becoming the latest World Superbike rider to come to the premier class.
The Italian will stand in for the injured Marc Marquez for the final two races of the 2025 season at Portimao and Valencia. He was being lined up by Ducati to race at Sepang, but Bulega turned the opportunity down, with Michele Pirro racing instead.
Bulega felt he would ‘jeopardise’ his career by having a poor race in his one-off appearance. That is why Ducati have prepared him with a private test on the GP25 at Jerez ahead of his debut at the Portuguese Grand Prix.
But looking back at history, the 26-year-old has every reason to be worried. Several riders have come to MotoGP off the back of success in Superbikes, but have never made it stick in the premier class.
Champions such as Neil Hodgson, James Toseland and Ben Spies struggled to find results in MotoGP, or find decent opportunities for that matter. But there is one example of a rider who came from SBK and took glory in the premier class that no one talks about.
‘Nobody wants to talk about’ Nicky Hayden – the SBK rider who came to MotoGP and won the title
Nicky Hayden began his junior career in Superbikes, winning the AMA title in 2002 – the youngest to ever do so. The following year, he came to MotoGP with Repsol Honda and spent 13 seasons in the premier class.
Immediately, Hayden showed his speed and became a title contender. In 2006, he dethroned Valentino Rossi, who had won the previous five titles, and won the MotoGP championship by five points.
That would be the last time he finished in the top five of the standings as he struggled to return to form with Honda and later Ducati. He went to WSBK in 2016 before his tragic passing in 2017.
Speaking on the Paddock Pass Podcast, journalist Steve English discussed Hayden among WSBK riders who made it to MotoGP: “Ultimately, you have to look at it as well. Hodgy (Hodgson) was 30, just like Toprak’s going to be older as well. He’s going to be 29 whenever he makes his debut.
“Bayliss was the same because Bayliss was old going to World Superbikes because he did BSB and then AMA and then moved to Worlds when Foggy (Carl Fogarty) got injured.
“So a lot of the Superbike riders get their opportunities later. Toseland ended up, where, a front row on his debut in Qatar. So he had the speed, but then he ended up with a bad injury
“And a little bit like Spies, well, it basically did end his career. He went back to World Superbikes, he was never the same rider again.
“When you look at Superbike riders that made the move, nobody wants to talk about it, but Nicky Hayden, Nicky was a Superbike rider, just because he wasn’t a World Superbike rider. He did all of his youth riding on Superbikes over in AMA.”
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Nicolo Bulega from height to career
Could Toprak Razgatlioglu be the next WSBK rider to win in MotoGP?
Many people will be eagerly watching the race in Portimao to see how Ducati’s latest MotoGP rider will fare. Toprak Razgatlioglu will watch Bulega closer than anyone ahead of his move to the premier class with Pramac Yamaha.
The pair have been title rivals in WSBK for the past few years, with the Turkish rider coming out on top by 13 points in 2025. But it is the Italian who will make his debut first, with Razgatlioglu predicting Bulega for a top-10 finish.
The 29-year-old will get his first taste of MotoGP machinery this weekend with a private test at Aragon. There are huge expectations for Razgatlioglu’s debut, with many tipping him to be successful immediately.
But he has a tough task ahead, riding an entirely new bike and joining Yamaha, who are struggling at the back. Razgatlioglu is ‘not worried’ about Yamaha’s form, believing that they can come back stronger.
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