Nicolo Bulega explains the ‘negative’ side of being in Valentino Rossi’s VR46 academy

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Nicolo Bulega is one of the most successful alumni of Valentino Rossi’s VR46 academy. While his first stint in Grand Prix racing didn’t work out, he has flourished in Superbikes.

Bulega left VR46 at the end of 2019 after his fourth full season in their colours. He then spent two years with Gresini in Moto2 before pivoting to SBK.

His 2023 World Supersport triumph paved the way for a WSBK ride with Ducati, and he enters 2026 as the title favourite after the departure of erstwhile rival Toprak Razgatlioglu.

Ducati have been so impressed by Bulega’s performances in the sister paddock that they have invited him to join their MotoGP test team. This could facilitate a full-time ride in 2027.

Nicolo Bulega says it was hard for VR46 riders to raise grievances

During an interview on the Moto IT YouTube channel, Bulega was asked to reflect on the positives and negatives of being a VR46 rider.

The biggest benefit, he says, was the opportunity to train with other elite riders.

But on the flip side, his personal management and the team’s management were one and the same. That meant every issue had to be dealt with ‘in-house’.

Bulega may have benefited from an independent presence who could have advocated for his interests. He says the structure of the operation has now changed.

“There are many positive things,” said Bulega. “Above all, training together is a great thing, because you push each other. You’re not training just for the sake of training.

“You’re training with people who are super competitive, who raise the bar in training. When the races come, you feel more ready.

“That’s definitely a very positive thing. The negative? At the time when I was there, because I was racing for Team Sky, one thing that I saw was that you were racing for their team, but they were also always the manager.

“If you had a problem with the team, you had it in-house. It was the team boss or the academy boss, you always went to talk to the same people. Sometimes it was hard to understand each other.

“I saw that they’ve changed this now. They’ve definitely fixed it.”

Is Valentino Rossi’s VR46 project coming to an end?

Rossi must be delighted with what his VR46 graduates have achieved. Francesco Bagnaia has won two world championships at the highest level, Marco Bezzecchi is emerging as a contender and both Franco Morbidelli and Luca Marini have scored MotoGP podiums.

There is now a feeling, however, that Rossi’s job with VR46 may be ‘done’. He is still signing young talents, but the volume of riders in the lower Grand Prix classes is now notably lower.

One of his seats is currently occupied by Ducati-backed rider Fabio di Giannantonio. For 2027, though, Rossi’s team are going after Pedro Acosta.

Rossi sees Acosta as the ‘anti-Marquez’, and he may just be talented enough to win the title in VR46 colours.