Marco Bezzecchi
Ducati want Nicolo Bulega to focus on his efforts with the Pirelli tyres and the 850cc bike, hence why he is not replacing Alex Marquez at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
With Michele Pirro not riding in place of the Gresini rider at Balaton Park, many may have thought that Bulega would be the natural replacement. He stood in for Marc Marquez in Portimao and Valencia last year and is currently dominating World Superbikes.
However, the Italian was not picked, with his teammate Iker Lecuona replacing Alex Marquez at the Hungarian Grand Prix. It may seem strange, but Ducati have their plans already lined up for Bulega.
Ducati do not want to confuse Nicolo Bulega with Michelin tyres while he focuses on the 2027 850cc bike
Alongside his WSBK efforts, Bulega is acting as Ducati’s MotoGP test rider, focusing on developing the 850cc bike. With no ride height devices and Pirelli tyres, the Borgo Panigale outfit want him to stick with this machine.
The 2026 1000cc bikes and Michelin tyres would give Bulega a completely different feeling, and Ducati do not want to ‘poison’ his mind when he is focused on an entirely different machine. It explains why Takaaki Nakagami is not replacing Johann Zarco at LCR Honda.
Journalist David Emmett explained the situation on the Paddock Pass Podcast: “So the other thing is, you would expect Bulega to go on there, but Bulega is testing the 850.
Should Gresini have brought in Nicolo Bulega to replace Alex Marquez for the Hungarian GP?
“So Ducati don’t want to sort of poison Nicolo Bulega’s mind with how the Michelins feel because they want him to focus on the 850s and the Pirellis.
“This is the same for Taka Nakagami. This is why Nakagami isn’t replacing [Zarco]. I mean, obviously, Aleix Espargaro is injured and he’s going to be out for a long time, but Taka Nakagami’s work is the 850s.
“So he’s testing the 850s. He’s using the Pirellis. They don’t want to put him on Michelins again and confuse him with feedback. It’s making it really quite complicated in terms of replacement riders this year.”
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Nicolo Bulega from height to career
Nicolo Bulega turned down Gresini’s offer to replace Alex Marquez
Bulega revealed that he was offered the ride by Gresini at Balaton Park, but he decided to stay focused on WSBK.
He said, via quotes from Crash: “I had the opportunity to ride as a replacement for Alex Marquez in MotoGP at Balaton, but I decided to stay focused on WorldSBK. It’s not the moment to take any risk at the moment.”
Which series will benefit more from Nicolo Bulega’s move: MotoGP or Superbikes?
Bulega has run away with this year's WSBK championship
It would seem that Ducati have no intention to let Bulega ride in 2026. They want him completely focused on his title charge in WSBK, as well as his potential move to MotoGP in 2027.
Bulega looks to be joining VR46 next season, and so his testing duties with Ducati on the 850cc bike will put him in a strong position come 2027.
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