Marco Bezzecchi
Nicolo Bulega has completed his tenure as Marc Marquez’s replacement at the factory Ducati MotoGP team and has addressed his chances of securing a full-time seat on the grid for the 2027 season.
The Ducati World Superbikes star has been mightily impressive since joining the grid of the production motorcycle category in 2024, ending both of his seasons as the overall runner-up in the riders’ standings.
Danilo Petrucci thinks Bulega is on the same level as Toprak Razgatlioglu, MotoGP’s latest addition from the WSBK grid. The two riders battled it out in a close title fight during this year’s campaign, with the Turk reigning victorious as he clinched his third world title in the category.
Jorge Lorenzo believes Ducati already have a seat with Bulega’s name on it for the 2027 season, noting the high probability that he will be placed within one of the Borgo Panigale-based outfit’s satellite teams.
However, nothing has been set in stone yet, and the 26-year-old has recently addressed the rumours of a potential switch to Grand Prix motorcycle racing.
READ MORE: Ducati must sign Nicolo Bulega for the 2027 MotoGP season after seeing his Valencia test data
Marc Marquez on his Ducati future
Nicolo Bulega addresses his chance of securing a ‘dream’ seat on the 2027 MotoGP grid
The MotoGP rider market for the 2027 season is in an interesting place at the moment, with the majority of riders’ contracts expiring at the end of 2026.
That leaves the door wide open for Bulega to secure a race seat for the campaign, and the Italian rider has stated that he wants to be able to clinch one off of his own merit.
Speaking to journalists after MotoGP’s post-season test in Valencia, Bulega said, via Moto.it, “As I said before, everyone’s dream, every rider’s, is MotoGP, because it’s the best you can aspire to as a rider.
“The red team, like I did in these two races, is truly the best, like a car racer going to race with Ferrari, so you can’t dream of anything more right now. I don’t know, these are still early discussions.
“What I’ve definitely learned is that I want to deserve things, and if I have to do MotoGP, I don’t want to do it just like that.
“Just to say that I’m a MotoGP rider when I go to the bar with friends. If I do MotoGP, it’s because I want to do it well.”
READ MORE: MotoGP fans stunned by ‘absolutely brutal’ Ducati stat after Francesco Bagnaia’s Valencia crash
Francesco Bagnaia on his MotoGP future
Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia’s futures at Ducati are yet to be revealed
Much like everyone else on the grid, Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez’s futures with the factory Ducati team are very much up in the air beyond 2026.
The 2027 MotoGP season will see new regulations being enforced, meaning that the pecking order of the grid is likely to change. If Ducati don’t appear to be ahead in the development race, Marquez will likely leave for greener pastures.
In the case of Bagnaia, the Italian rider bleeds red for Ducati. However, his 2025 campaign has left a lot to be desired, and his two world titles with the team in 2022 and 2023 don’t appear to put him in a position of being untouchable in Borgo Panigale.
If 2026 brings the same misfortune, we could very well see a completely new-look line-up at Ducati in 2027.
The Italian constructor already have a well-bolstered line-up of riders within their stable, including Bulega in their World Superbike efforts. They won’t have any shortage of talent to call up if they decide against renewing Bagnaia and Marquez opts to depart.
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