VR46 WELCOMES NICOLO BUGLEGA AS DUCATI 850 LOOKS QUICK IN PRIVATE TESTS

VR46 team manager Pablo Nieto has welcomed Nicolo Bulega’s return to the Ducati family, describing the Italian’s move “home” as something the team is genuinely happy about. Speaking at Misano, Nieto said: “We are very happy he’s coming back home.” Bulega, who was confirmed at VR46 after building his reputation in WorldSBK, will join the MotoGP grid as part of the next wave of riders linked to Ducati’s development work.

Nieto stressed that Bulega’s value to Ducati isn’t limited to race results in Superbike. “He’s doing an amazing job [in WorldSBK] and also it’s very important that he’s the test rider for Ducati. He’s doing a super job as a test rider.” The VR46 boss also pointed to the workload Bulega has been carrying, combining his WorldSBK campaign with time spent helping shape the new MotoGP package.

While official lap times for MotoGP’s forthcoming 850cc machines and the new Pirelli tyres have not yet been published, private testing reports have repeatedly placed Bulega and Ducati at the top of the timesheets. Nieto acknowledged the early promise but played down any assumption that extensive mileage automatically translates into an immediate advantage over the established MotoGP field. “This is MotoGP. All the riders here are superstars, and in one or two days they will get into the rhythm [with the new bikes and tyres].”

Instead, Nieto highlighted a specific benchmark that could clarify whether Ducati’s early speed is real when the full MotoGP context is in place. He singled out the Monday test after Austria—described as the second outing open to selected race riders, with all manufacturers together on track—as the key moment to judge the new Ducati 850’s competitiveness. “The Monday test after Austria will be very important to see if we really have some advantage or not,” Nieto said. “It’s important that [Bulega] already knows the tyres and bike, the development of the bike. But the most important thing is that, at the moment, [the Ducati 850] looks like it’s very fast.”

Bulega’s own comments echoed that excitement, with the rider saying he already likes what he has been sampling. “I really like the Ducati 850,” he said. He added that the new Pirelli tyres are a major part of his positive impression: “It’s a very good bike, with the new tyres, Pirelli, that I like because I use them also in Superbike.” Bulega also underlined the practical benefit of being able to ride the machine before the next season begins. “I've made a couple of good tests, and it's nice to try the bike before next season.”

The timing of Bulega’s MotoGP arrival is also tied to his current WorldSBK momentum. The reporting notes that he could clinch the 2026 WorldSBK title next time out at Cremona, with his season already strong—he has won all but one race so far.

As for the Austria test itself, Ducati—along with the other MotoGP manufacturers—has not yet confirmed which riders will be on track for the post-race running.