Nicolo Bulega says Pedro Acosta already has one technical advantage over Marc Marquez

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Nicolo Bulega has been assembling his perfect MotoGP rider ahead of his potential move to the class in 2027.

Rumours suggest Bulega will join VR46, pitting him against factory Ducati riders Marc Marquez and Pedro Acosta on the GP27.

Given that Bulega has already been testing Ducati’s 2027 prototype, all while dominating the World Superbikes championship in record-breaking fashion, he will be confident of challenging the Bologna outfit’s superteam.

Nicolo Bulega says Pedro Acosta’s direction changes are already better than Marc Marquez

In an interview with Moto IT, Bulega acknowledges that, at the moment, Marquez is the most ‘complete’ rider on the grid. The Spaniard is only 40 points off the championship lead despite missing three points-scoring opportunities due to injury.

Bulega, who deputised for an injured Marquez at the end of last season, believes he’s the best in left-hand corners, though repeated damage to his right arm makes VR46’s Fabio Di Giannantonio superior in the opposite direction.

Where does Marc Marquez/Pedro Acosta rank among the all-time great MotoGP line-ups?

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Marquez was also ranked alongside Jorge Martin as the best rider over a single lap. In terms of off-track skills, Bulega picked him for ‘media management’.

The only categories where Marquez wasn’t mentioned were braking – Bulega says Francesco Bagnaia is the best when his bike is ‘right’ – and change of direction, where Acosta was chosen instead.

Bulega is clearly impressed by Acosta’s technique and his physical strength despite his slight 5ft 6in frame.

• READ MORE: Luigi Dall’Igna hits out at ‘nonsense’ claims surrounding Ducati’s rider line-up for 2027

Across their spell as teammates, Marquez leads two-time MotoGP champion Bagnaia 18-8 in qualifying and 17-3 in races (when both have been classified).

It could be argued that Marquez hasn’t been seriously threatened by his teammate since the start of his career, when he lined up alongside Dani Pedrosa at Honda.

However, Acosta will face a 34-year-old version of Marquez who, after so many injuries, may be past his physical best. Ducati feel they are making a talent upgrade, and will expect a much closer battle between their two riders.