ESPARAGARO SAYS BULEGA COULD START 2027 WITH A MAJOR EDGE

Pol Espargaro believes Nicolo Bulega could arrive at the opening round of the 2027 MotoGP season with an unusually strong advantage, thanks to his experience on Pirelli tyres and extensive work developing Ducati’s new 850cc bike.

Bulega is due to join VR46 Ducati next year. The WorldSBK rider has already completed substantial testing on the 850cc prototype, while most of the other 2027 rookies have yet to ride one. Izan Guevara and Senna Agius are believed to have tested adapted 1000cc machines at the Red Bull Ring; David Alonso and Dani Holgado have not yet made their MotoGP debuts. Bulega missed the Austrian test to concentrate on his WorldSBK title campaign at Cremona.

The five rookies are set to receive two extra days of official pre-season running at the Sepang Shakedown. That gives them seven days of winter testing in total, compared with five for established riders. However, Espargaro sees Bulega’s head start as more significant than the extra track time alone: he knows the tyres, has helped shape the new Ducati and has experience at circuits on the calendar.

“Crazy. It’s absolutely crazy and I would say also unfair,” Espargaro said when asked about Bulega’s position. “He’s going to know the bike perfectly, he’s going to know the tyres perfectly, he’s going to have the two more extra days in the Shakedown. So the amount of experience and speed he’s going to have, it’s going to be insane.”

Espargaro, KTM’s test rider, has seen Bulega’s pace during private testing. He also noted that riders moving up from Moto2 could benefit from their familiarity with Pirelli, which will become MotoGP’s tyre supplier in 2027. Bulega, however, combines that tyre knowledge with WorldSBK experience and mileage on the new prototype.

The Spaniard pointed to his own wildcard appearances as evidence of how valuable circuit-specific testing can be. He recalled being second in FP1 in Hungary after testing there, and said the preparation helped him reach Q2 regularly. Bulega, he argued, will have a similar benefit at tracks including Mugello, Jerez and Misano.

“And the guy is fast!” Espargaro added. “He’s not like me, who is in retirement! It’s a guy who’s in his prime.” He said Bulega’s development work could also help Ducati’s other riders, including Marc Marquez and Pedro, by giving the team a machine that can be pushed to its limits from the first race.

Espargaro’s prediction was emphatic: “Yeah, I feel he’s going to smash everyone.” He also suggested Bulega could be in contention at the 2027 opener in Buriram.

Bulega made his MotoGP debut as an injury replacement for Marc Marquez in the final two rounds of last season. Franco Morbidelli, who will swap places with him for 2027, rode Ducati’s 850cc prototype at the Red Bull Ring alongside Marquez and Fermin Aldeguer. Around half the current grid has already sampled Pirelli tyres, while several established riders—including Jorge Martin, Pecco Bagnaia and Fabio Quartararo—must wait until Valencia for their first outing.