Marco Bezzecchi
Nicolo Bulega says he has a ‘great relationship’ with Ducati colleague Francesco Bagnaia. They were teammates at the end of the 2025 season after Marc Marquez’s injury.
It was actually Bulega who scored Ducati’s only Grand Prix points in that period as fellow VR46 academy graduate Bagnaia finished a miserable year with back-to-back DNFs.
Bagnaia lost out to legendary teammate Marquez in 28 of the 31 races that both riders finished, as well as 13 out of 18 qualifying sessions.
How many Ducati MotoGP riders is Nicolo Bulega BETTER than?
Unable to score consistent podiums as the Spaniard dominated, Bagnaia is now at risk of losing his seat unless he improves significantly in 2026.
Nicolo Bulega says Francesco Bagnaia is a ‘great guy, maybe a little too great’
In an interview with GPOne, Bulega expressed his admiration for Bagnaia. But he did also suggest that his fellow Italian may be a little too nice for the ruthless world of MotoGP.
It’s worth noting that Bagnaia did voice his anger with Ducati during the 2025 season as his engineers struggled to find a solution for his lack of ‘feeling’. At one point, he called the situation ‘unacceptable’.
The 28-year-old has finished runner-up twice in the premier class, but he also won back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023.
Francesco Bagnaia on his MotoGP future
“With Pecco, I’ve always had a great relationship, although we kind of lost touch with each other after I left the Academy,” Bulega said. “He’s a great guy, maybe a little too great.
“That’s it! Let’s say that. I admire him anyway, because he always manages to be positive and has a good word for everyone, showing he has great manners. He obviously is a champion.”
Why Nicolo Bulega would find Marc Marquez partnership ‘easier’ than Pecco Bagnaia
Bulega was also asked how he’d fare alongside Marquez at the Ducati factory team.
After an impressive cameo, Bulega has been linked with a MotoGP seat for 2027, though it’s more likely that he would start at a satellite squad.
Given his inexperience, he would have ‘no pretensions’ of beating Marquez, the objective Bagnaia set last winter.
Bagnaia knows that he occupies perhaps the most coveted seat in MotoGP, but Bulega won’t be in the conversation unless he wins the World Superbikes title next year and impresses in his Ducati test outings.
“He’s fast with everything!” Bulega said of Marquez. “We’re talking about a guy who won MotoGP in his first year, and he’s not just any rider. I’m of the opinion that, if Honda had been at the top this year, he would’ve won with that, as well.
“Unlike Pecco, I’d have no pretensions in having to be in front of him, since I’d be a rookie, while he’s the nine-time world champion. It should be easier for me than Pecco, since he had already won in MotoGP.
“He knows that everyone wants his bike. Maybe leaving it to me would make him happier. But, as of today, these are all fantasies because so many things have to happen, and it’s pointless to think about it. I have to think about Superbike and winning the World Championship, then we’ll see what happens.”
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