World Superbike star Nicolo Bulega will exchange Marc Marquez for the remainder of the 2025 MotoGP marketing campaign, Ducati has confirmed.
This yr’s MotoGP champion has been sidelined since fracturing his shoulder on the Indonesian Grand Prix initially of October and it was introduced shortly afterwards that he would skip the remainder of the season.
There have been two rounds since Indonesia, Australia and Malaysia, by which Marquez was changed by Ducati check rider Michele Pirro, who failed to attain a degree in both weekend.
Discuss had been strife about the opportunity of Bulega stepping as much as the plate, however Ducati’s superbike rider needed to check the dominant GP25 first and did so on Thursday in Jerez.
Deciding he’s prepared for the problem, the 26-year-old will contest the ultimate two rounds of this yr, Portugal and Valencia, for what will probably be his MotoGP debut having moved to Supersport in 2022 after three years of Moto2.
“I am very pleased to have the ability to shut out a season like this with a pleasant last-minute shock,” mentioned Bulega, who has completed runner-up within the final two World Superbike seasons.
Nicolo Bulega, Ducati Jerez check
Photograph by: Ducati Corse
“Making my MotoGP debut is each child’s dream who aspires to turn out to be a racer. Moreover, with the ability to trip the world championship-winning bike within the final two races of 2025 makes it much more thrilling.
“It is going to be fairly a problem; I haven’t got any particular expectations. I am going to strategy this expertise with all the required calm, additionally as a result of, for now, I’ve solely been capable of check the Desmosedici GP at Jerez. That mentioned, I definitely don’t have any scarcity of motivation to do properly and provides my all.”
Bulega has been signed with Ducati since his Supersport debut and he accomplished two seasons of the championship. He dominated the 2023 marketing campaign earlier than shifting to World Superbikes for 2024.
Ducati boss Gigi Dall’Igna mentioned: “I am very pleased to see Bulega engaged on the Desmosedici GP. Nicolo has been a part of the Ducati Corse household since 2022, once we selected him to trip in Supersport.
“We believed in him, and he has repaid that religion with two seasons because the undisputed star in Superbike, the place he got here near the title and have become our benchmark rider.”
Bulega will function Francesco Bagnaia’s team-mate at manufacturing unit Ducati for the upcoming rounds and subsequent yr he’ll turn out to be the outfit’s check rider in MotoGP alongside Pirro. That is doubtlessly in preparation for a soar right into a full-time seat within the premier class from 2027.
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