Following his unprecedented domination of WorldSBK, the Italian star star will ride a Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducati Desmosedici GP alongside Fermín Aldeguer in 2027

Nicolò Bulega will make the jump to MotoGP in 2027 after being signed by the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team, completing the squad’s rider line-up for next season.

The Italian arrives from WorldSBK, where he is in the middle of a remarkable campaign, and will race a Ducati Desmosedici GP for the Tavullia-based outfit alongside Fermín Aldeguer.

While 2027 will mark Bulega’s first full-time season in the premier class, he is not entirely new to the MotoGP paddock. He has already sampled the category as a Ducati MotoGP test rider and also contested the final two races of last season as a stand-in for the factory Ducati team.

The move also brings Bulega back to familiar surroundings. He first appeared on the world stage with the VR46 Racing Team in 2015, making his Moto3 debut as a wildcard after winning that year’s FIM CEV Moto3 Junior Championship. He then spent the next three seasons in the lightweight class with the team before stepping into Moto2 in 2019.

Bulega switched to production-based racing in 2022, joining Ducati in World Supersport. The change paid off quickly, with the Italian claiming the 2023 WorldSSP title after a dominant season that included 10 pole positions and 16 race wins.

That championship success earned him promotion to World Superbike for 2024 with Ducati’s factory squad, where he immediately established himself as a front-runner by finishing runner-up in his rookie season. He repeated that result the following year and has now taken another step forward in 2026.

At present, Bulega leads the WorldSBK standings after a crushing run that has delivered 26 wins from 27 races so far, underlining the form that has secured his MotoGP opportunity.

The signing adds one of the hottest talents outside grand prix racing to its 2027 roster, with VR46 clearly betting big on Bulega’s ability to translate his Ducati and Pirelli experience into premier class podiums. For fans, the prospect of seeing Bulega continue his rivalry with Toprak Razgatlioglu in MotoGP is tantalising, especially given the Ducati star has reportedly been very impressive in tests aboard the 2027 850cc GP bike.

 

Nicolò Bulega 
“Making it to MotoGP is a dream, because I will make my debut with the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team. I chose this team because I’ve always been linked to them: I was in the VR46 Riders Academy when I was a child, so I know everyone very well. So, making this step with people I know is easier from a human perspective. Moreover, they are all extremely professional. When I started to race, I had the dream of arriving to MotoGP. Then, for many reasons, my career took a different path: I moved to WorldSBK, when I focused build a successful career. But these years have gone far beyond my expectations, so we thought about making this step up to the premier class. I’m happy to reach this goal, even if it took me a little longer and I did a different journey compared to the usual one. For sure, it’s amazing and I’m very proud. Now, I don’t want to set any goals, I want to try to do well, take it one race at a time, especially at the beginning, and do the best job possible. I want to thank the entire VR46 Racing Team, Ducati Corse and Aruba for making this possible.”

Alessio Salucci
“We are very happy to welcome Nicolò to the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team. We’ve been knowing him for many years, he started his career with us, and we achieved great results together. Over the years, both him and the team have been growing a lot, and now we are here to make great things together. We know he is a very talented rider since he was younger, and he proved that both in the past and currently, by dominating WorldSBK. I think he is ready to embark this new journey with maturity and awareness. We are very proud to have him in our Team, and we will give him the maximum support possible to help him achieve all his goals together.”

Gigi Dall’Igna
“We are very happy to renew our agreement with Nicolò and to welcome him to the MotoGP Ducati project from next season. During these years, he proved to be a very talented rider, capable of growing consistently, making the most of our bikes and reaching an extremely high level of competitiveness. His journey confirms he is a rider with a solid and successful present, but at the same time, with a very promising future. We think the right moment to embark this new challenge has arrived. The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team is the ideal environment to support him during his adaptation to MotoGP, and we are convinced that he will have all the tools he needs to express his potential at his maximum. The new challenge will have to wait: for now, the focus is still the WorldSBK Championship. Nicolò is making a great season and now it’s time to focus all the work on just one goal: fighting together for the World Championship title. Finally, I would like to thank the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Team for all the work they did together with Nicolò during these seasons. They were the first to believe in him, and the growing path that brought him to be ready for the MotoGP is the result of a shared commitment, the hard work of the team and the determination that Nicolò could show year by year.”

Pablo Nieto
“We complete next year’s line-up with Nicolò Bulega, a rider who always proved to be very talented and determined. His journey has not been always easy, but he is dominating the WorldSBK: he proved to deserve a place in MotoGP. Next year the regulation will change, and we will all start from zero. For sure, his experience with the WorldSBK tyres and the test with the new Ducati Desmosedici GP as a Ducati test rider will help him adapting well to the new category and making this journey as easy as possible. We trust him and we know he will be able to fight for the most important goals.”