Ducati will area a brand new star on the MotoGP grid for the primary time on the Portuguese Grand Prix, because it offers Nicolo Bulega his debut within the premier class.
The Italian producer has been left with a significant gap to fill in its manufacturing facility line-up, after seven-time world champion Marc Marquez suffered a season-ending shoulder harm final month.
For the Australian and Malaysian Grands Prix, Ducati drafted in check rider Michele Pirro to deputise on the No.93’s facet of the storage.
Following a check at Jerez final week, Ducati has now greenlit World Superbike star Nicolo Bulega to fill in for Marquez on the remaining two rounds of the 2025 MotoGP season.
Bulega’s path to the MotoGP beginning grid is a winding one. A former protege of Valentino Rossi’s VR46 Academy, his time in Moto2 and Moto3 didn’t stay as much as the potential he had.
A facet step to the World Superbike paddock in 2022 with Ducati in World Supersport energised his profession, with Bulega a world champion in Supersport in 2023.
He made his World Superbike debut in 2024 with Ducati and gained first time of asking in his debut weekend. He has been runner-up within the championship the final two years.
Remaining a Ducati rider in World Superbikes for subsequent yr, Bulega will turn into a part of the model’s MotoGP check roster with a view to 2027 growth and a possible race seat at considered one of its groups.
Earlier than that, he’ll make his MotoGP debut at Portimao aboard the GP25.
On this week’s Crash MotoGP Podcast, the crew talk about what to anticipate from Bulega on his debut.
Additionally they look elsewhere on the grid and attempt to predict the pecking order for this weekend’s twenty first spherical of the season.
Obtain the Crash MotoGP Podcast Right here
“It’s large information,” Crash MotoGP Editor Peter McLaren stated. “Usually, after we get these replacements, particularly at Ducati in recent times, it’s been [riders] on the different finish of their MotoGP careers: Iannone, Pirro, Petrucci, Bautista, guys who’re coming again as one thing of a gift. They’re not attempting to launch a full-time profession, whereas that is very completely different with Bulega. He’s already on that path to a ’27 Ducati MotoGP seat. He’s received the prospect to construct over six days on monitor. He had the check behind closed doorways at Jerez, the climate wasn’t too good. Possibly 30 laps, I heard excessive 1m39s perhaps. So, that’s a few seconds off the tempo. It’s an attention-grabbing scenario for him as a result of he’s been thrown into the deep finish, getting on Marc Marquez’s bike, the championship-winning bike. He’s received to withstand the urge to push too onerous…”
