BULEGA SAYS THE 2027 SBK SWITCH WON’T BE AUTOMATIC SUCCESS FOR MOTOGP STARS

Nicolo Bulega says the upcoming wave of MotoGP-to-SBK moves for 2027 will not be a guaranteed shortcut to success, even though the newcomers are proven race winners. Speaking at Magny-Cours, the Ducati rider—currently leading the Superbike standings—commented on the three high-profile arrivals expected in the Superbike World Championship: Brad Binder, Jack Miller and Franco Morbidelli.

Binder is set to join BMW, taking the seat left by Danilo Petrucci. Miller will move to Yamaha, following Xavi Vierge. Morbidelli, meanwhile, is scheduled to replace Bulega at Ducati after the Italian’s current run toward the SBK title—while Bulega is also on course to step up to MotoGP in 2027.

Bulega believes the talent is there, but he cautions that the transition will be difficult because the machines and tyre situations are fundamentally different. “I think it’s not easy, because they are currently riding completely different motorcycles with much more power and with totally different tyres,” he said. He also highlighted that 2027 brings a major tyre change across both championships: Pirelli will supply MotoGP, while Michelin will become the single tyre provider in SBK.

That means the MotoGP riders will not simply carry over what they know from their current tyre experience. Bulega warned against oversimplified comparisons between tyre brands across categories. “In the next year, Michelin tyres will come, but they are not comparable with the Pirelli tyres in the Superbike World Championship or MotoGP. For them it will be similar: the Michelin tyres from MotoGP will not be the same as the Michelin tyres in the Superbike World Championship. But the DNA can at least be similar.”

For Bulega, the biggest gap remains the motorcycle itself. “The bike is completely different. I think the switch will be very similar to my move, if they actually make that step,” he said, pointing to the kind of adaptation required when changing class.

Despite those concerns, Bulega expressed confidence in the newcomers’ ability. He stressed that winning in MotoGP is a strong indicator of raw speed and race craft. “They are definitely very strong riders. If you’re in MotoGP, you’re definitely good. If you’re not good, you don’t even get there. They were in MotoGP and they won races, so they were fantastic. I think they can be faster in the Superbike World Championship.”

He also drew on his own career path to explain why a category change can provide a fresh boost. In his view, the right team and environment can unlock performance that previously wasn’t fully accessible. “When I was in Moto2, my situation was very bad. I knew I had the speed inside me, but I needed someone like this team to help bring my speed back to the surface,” Bulega recalled.

Bulega said he believes it is possible that at least one of the MotoGP-to-SBK rookies will find the Superbike concept suits them particularly well. “If next year some MotoGP riders come here, it won’t be easy, because the bike is different. Maybe your riding style fits better with a Superbike, or maybe it fits better with a MotoGP bike. Some riders might be better for the Superbike World Championship and others for MotoGP. We don’t all ride in the same way. It depends very much on how you can adapt to the bike.”

When asked to explain why he has developed into a top SBK performer, Bulega did not attribute his progress to becoming inherently faster than in earlier classes. Instead, he suggested the key difference is understanding when to push and improving his working process. “I don’t think I’m faster, because I’m still the same. But maybe I understand better when the moment has come to ride fast,” he said. “I have more experience and I understand a better way of working.”

He added that the Superbike environment places greater emphasis on electronics and their management than the lower categories. “Especially in the Superbike World Championship, electronics and the work with them play a much bigger role than in Moto3, Moto2 and Supersport,” Bulega concluded.