As had been expected for a long time, VR46 announced on Wednesday the arrival of WorldSBK championship leader Nicolo Bulega alongside Fermin Aldeguer for the 2027 MotoGP season.
Bulega will replace Franco Morbidelli, who is expected to make the opposite move and join Ducati in WorldSBK.
VR46 announced a one-year deal; Bulega will be contracted with Ducati and provided with a factory bike, just like Marc Marquez, Pedro Acosta and Aldeguer. This will be the first time Valentino Rossi’s outfit has two factory bikes, with Ducati assuming most of that expense.
“Getting to MotoGP is a dream, as I will make my debut with the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team,” Bulega said.
“I chose this team because I have always been linked to them: I was part of the VR46 Riders Academy when I was a child, so I know everyone very well. I don’t want to set specific goals. I want to try to do well, go race by race and do the best job possible.”
Bulega will be the only Italian racing a Ducati in 2027, alongside five Spaniards, as the Gresini pairing will feature Joan Mir and Dani Holgado.
Nicolo Bulega racing for Ducati in MotoGP last year
Photo by: Steve Wobser / Getty Images
It is only a matter of time before the 26-year-old clinches the WorldSBK title on his way to a MotoGP paddock return, having left through the back door in 2021.
Bulega had shown great promise in Moto3 with VR46’s support but failed to adapt to Moto2, eventually losing the academy’s backing. With his career taking a turn for the worse, he chose to start from scratch in WorldSBK support series WorldSSP in 2022, becoming its champion in 2023 with 16 wins.
Subsequently graduating to WorldSBK, Bulega has been growing, and this season he has won 26 out of 27 races, completing a sporting and personal journey through the desert that will bring him back, in 2027, to the premier class of motorcycle racing.
For Bulega, riding a Ducati MotoGP bike is nothing new, as he stood in for injured Marc Marquez on two occasions last year, and also took part in the 2026 pre-season test. Bulega’s quality, as well as his experience with a smaller bike and Pirelli tyres, means he may be a frontrunner next season in MotoGP.
Meanwhile, Morbidelli’s MotoGP career comes to an end after nine seasons in the premier class, where he was runner-up in 2020, just 13 points short of the title. He had previously claimed the Moto2 crown in 2017.
For the 32-year-old, a new opportunity now opens up to fight for wins and titles with the official Ducati team – one that has ruthlessly dominated WorldSBK so far this year.
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– The Autosport.com Team
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