Overview
- Nicolo Bulega will make his MotoGP debut in the final two rounds of 2025, stepping in for Marc Marquez at Portimao and Valencia after Ducati’s official confirmation.
- Bulega’s first MotoGP outing came at Michelin’s private Jerez test, where he logged about 35 laps on the Desmosedici GP25 after morning runs on a Panigale with Michelin tyres.
- Poor weather limited track time, yet reports say Bulega set a 1:38.0 and outpaced fellow test riders Pol Espargaro and Lorenzo Savadori under the day’s conditions.
- Ducati leadership, including Gigi Dall’Igna, frames the appearances as a no-pressure learning exercise as Bulega takes up a test role integral to development work.
- Bulega’s two-year extension signed in May includes MotoGP test duties aligned with the 2027 switch to Pirelli tyres, with veteran Michele Pirro remaining the experienced alternative option.