BAGNAIA AND BEIRER PLAY DOWN ANY LONG-TERM ADVANTAGE FOR BULEGA IN 2027 MOTOGP

Francesco Bagnaia and KTM motorsport director Pit Beirer have both pushed back against the prevailing view that Nicolo Bulega will arrive in MotoGP with an immediate, lasting advantage thanks to his extensive Ducati testing on the brand’s 850cc machine.

Bulega is set to make the step up to MotoGP in 2027 with VR46, after the team confirmed he will join the premier class next season on a one-year factory Ducati contract. He will partner Fermin Aldeguer, with VR46’s 2027 line-up shaped by the departures of Fabio Di Giannantonio and Franco Morbidelli. Di Giannantonio has signed with KTM for 2027, while VR46 opted not to renew Morbidelli’s contract, choosing instead to bring in Bulega.

The move is also expected to make Bulega a full-time MotoGP rider, following his dominance in World Superbike. Bagnaia’s comments come as Bulega heads into the next round at Cremona sitting 146 points clear in the 2026 standings. The 26-year-old has won 26 of the 27 WorldSBK races so far this season, with his only defeat coming when he finished second behind Ducati teammate Iker Lecuona in the first race at Donington Park.

In the MotoGP paddock, many have pointed to Bulega’s Ducati testing programme as the key reason he could be competitive from the outset. Neil Hodgson has even suggested Bulega could have an “unfair advantage,” arguing that Ducati’s 850cc bike has been built around him. But Bagnaia, who will leave Ducati for Aprilia in 2027, believes that any early edge will quickly disappear once the MotoGP season begins.

Bagnaia questioned how Bulega will adapt to the demands of MotoGP’s 22-round calendar, contrasting it with the structure of WorldSBK. He said that by the time the first MotoGP race arrives, the field will be reset to a similar starting point: “I think that by the time we get to the first race next year, everything will be back to square one. Obviously, Ducati have made great use of the tester concept for next year and pulled off a brilliant, very clever move in the market.”

He added that the biggest challenge for Bulega will be the overall workload and rhythm of MotoGP rather than the bike itself: “We’ll have to see how Nicolo Bulega adapts to the pace of MotoGP, but he’s definitely starting off in a good position. Still, I think we’ll all be on the same page by the first race.” Bagnaia also highlighted the scale of the schedule and off-track commitments, saying: “Forty-four races a year, tons of interviews, tons of events—and then riding the bike almost becomes the easiest part.”

Beirer echoed that view from KTM’s side. He acknowledged that Ducati’s testing and Bulega’s experience with tyres could help him begin strongly, but he expects the advantage to be short-lived once the full MotoGP development cycle and competition intensify. Beirer told SPEEDWEEK that Ducati appear to have a strong package with Bulega, yet he believes the rest of the grid will quickly catch up: “It looks like Ducati have a very good package with Bulega. He brings experience with the tyres and is working on this bike. But I think this advantage will only last for a short time.”

He argued that once manufacturers and riders are fully engaged with the new bikes, everyone will be working at the same time: “Once the bikes are up and running in this paddock and the manufacturers are working intensively on the new bike with their riders and test teams, everyone will be involved.”

Beirer also pointed to KTM’s own preparation, emphasizing the role of its test riders Pol Espargaro and Dani Pedrosa in developing the Austrian brand’s 850cc project. He said: “If you have a rider who is completely focused on the tyres and everything else, that’s good, but we also have excellent test riders in Pol and Dani. They will prepare the bike very well for the other guys.”

Ducati has already used Bulega as an official MotoGP test rider in 2026, though the team has also relied more heavily on its factory WorldSBK rider because Michele Pirro has not been fit enough for the private 850cc testing. KTM, meanwhile, has joined Ducati and Bulega for 850cc sessions alongside other manufacturers’ test programmes, including Aprilia and Honda.