Nicolò Bulega: From VR46 Prospect to 2026 WorldSBK Champion — My Take

WorldSBK Rider Feature | October 31, 2026. My personal take on the rider behind one of the most remarkable World Superbike seasons—and the VR46 reunion that brings him back to MotoGP.

I started looking more closely at Nicolò Bulega because his 2026 WorldSBK championship statistics caught my attention. Thirty-two wins in 36 races, and a podium finish in every single race. I had to look at those numbers again.

But his career history impressed me just as much. He was once a promising young Grand Prix rider, struggled through a difficult Moto2 period, then rebuilt his confidence and career with Ducati. And in 2027, he’ll return to MotoGP with the very organization that supported him as a young racer: Valentino Rossi’s VR46.

That connection makes this story more than a list of race victories. I wanted to know where he started, who believed in him, and what makes him such a strong WorldSBK rider.

Nicolò Bulega: rider profile

Full name: Nicolò Jarod Bulega
Date of birth: October 16, 1999
Birthplace: Montecchio Emilia, Italy
Age in October 2026: 27
Residence: Reported to be living in the Republic of San Marino in 2026
2026 team: Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
Racing number: #11

Motorcycles were already part of his family life: his father, Davide Bulega, also raced professionally. Nicolò began on minibikes as a child and progressed through Italian junior racing before the VR46 Riders Academy noticed him. His official MotoGP rider profile confirms his birth details, while Ducati’s rider biography documents his early competition results.

His 2026 WorldSBK championship in three numbers

For perspective, he led 499 of 612 racing laps—approximately 81.5%—and ended his three WorldSBK seasons with 52 victories and 92 podium finishes. These records come from WorldSBK’s October 22 season statistics.

Where it began: the junior racer Valentino Rossi’s VR46 believed in

Bulega was young when he began winning in the Italian minimoto and PreGP categories. In 2014, he joined the VR46 Riders Academy. It was an important vote of confidence: Valentino Rossi’s organization could see his potential and helped him take his next steps toward international Grand Prix racing.

November 1, 2015: his first major junior breakthrough

At Jerez on November 1, 2015, Bulega won Race 2 in the FIM CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship for the Junior Team VR46 Riders Academy. He had finished the first race just 0.037 seconds behind the winner. That win—and a season of collecting results—helped him secure the 2015 junior world title.

It’s worth being precise here: Jerez was his first win in that Moto3 junior series, not necessarily the first race victory of his childhood. His contemporary Jerez race report and MotoGP career profile establish the milestone.

VR46 years: Moto3, Moto2, and a difficult transition

Bulega made his Moto3 World Championship wild-card debut in 2015 and raced his first full season for Sky Racing Team VR46 in 2016. Two podiums and seventh in the standings gave him a promising introduction. But 2017 and 2018 were much harder. The results were inconsistent and injuries also interrupted his progress.

VR46 still gave him a chance to move into Moto2 for 2019. He finished 17th and then moved to Gresini for 2020–2021, where success continued to elude him. I’ve read that he struggled with the pressure that came with being seen as a future star. That part of his story stayed with me, because it’s easy to see riders at their best and overlook the years when nothing seems to work.

Bulega and VR46: the timeline behind the 2027 reunion

Year	Career milestone
2014	Selected for the VR46 Riders Academy as an emerging junior racer
2015	First CEV Moto3 Junior win at Jerez, junior world title, and Moto3 wild-card debut with VR46
2016	First full Moto3 season with Sky Racing Team VR46; seventh overall and two podiums
2017–2018	Continued in Moto3 with VR46, amid injuries and inconsistent results
2019	Promoted to VR46’s Moto2 team; 17th in the standings
2020–2021	Moved to Gresini Moto2, still searching for stronger results
2022	Joined Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team on Ducati’s Panigale V2
2023	Won the WorldSSP championship after his first category victory at Phillip Island
2024–2025	WorldSBK runner-up twice with the factory Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team
2026	Dominant WorldSBK championship season: 32 wins and 36 podiums
2027	Set to return to VR46 as a full-time MotoGP rider alongside Fermín Aldeguer

Aruba.it Racing – Ducati: the team that helped him win again

In 2022, Bulega moved away from the MotoGP ladder and into World Supersport with Aruba.it Racing and the Ducati Panigale V2. It was a different motorcycle and racing environment, but the move turned out to be a turning point.

He finished fourth in his first WorldSSP season with nine podiums. Then, on February 25, 2023 at Phillip Island, he claimed his first World Supersport race victory. He won again the following day and went on to take 16 wins in 24 races and the 2023 WorldSSP title. WorldSBK’s rider history records that progression.

That win mattered to me as much as the later championship. After difficult Moto2 seasons, he was back at the front and winning again. VR46 had believed in his early talent; Aruba.it Racing – Ducati provided the opportunity and team environment for him to prove it again.

From winning his WorldSBK debut to becoming champion

His promotion to the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati WorldSBK team in 2024 brought another immediate breakthrough: he won Race 1 on his WorldSBK debut at Phillip Island. In his rookie year he finished second overall with six wins and 24 podiums. He improved again in 2025 with 14 wins and 32 podiums, but still ended the season runner-up.

Then came 2026. His victories jumped to 32 and he finished on the podium every time. That kind of progression—six wins, then 14, then 32—was what first made me curious about his development.

WorldSBK season	Wins	Podiums	Championship finish
2024	6	24	Runner-up
2025	14	32	Runner-up
2026	32	36	World Champion

My personal take: what makes Bulega such a strong WorldSBK rider?

1. Consistency, even when winning isn’t easy

This is the quality that impresses me most. A podium in every one of 36 races means he didn’t need everything to go perfectly every weekend. The WorldSBK calendar brings different circuits, weather, tire demands and competitive situations, yet his results stayed remarkably steady.

2. The ability to establish and control race pace

Leading 499 of 612 laps suggests he wasn’t only benefiting from problems for other riders. He was regularly setting the pace from the front. That doesn’t tell us everything about braking technique or tire management—the team’s telemetry would be needed for that—but it does say a great deal about his ability to put together competitive races.

3. Speed across very different circuits

Bulega didn’t build his championship around one venue. He repeatedly delivered strong results across the season, on tracks with very different corners, braking zones and layouts. I see that as evidence of adaptability, although I wouldn’t pretend to know every adjustment he and his crew made.

4. The determination to rebuild after Moto2

This part of his story may be my favorite. He was recognized early, struggled with expectations, changed racing categories and eventually became a champion. It’s easier to notice a rider who wins from the beginning than one who has to find his way back. Bulega did that, and then took his performance further than almost anyone expected.

5. A brilliant rider and a highly competitive Ducati

I also wouldn’t overlook the motorcycle and the people behind it. Ducati won all 36 WorldSBK races in 2026: Bulega claimed 32 and teammate Iker Lecuona won four. The bike, engineers, strategy and race team clearly played an important role. But Bulega still stood out even within that dominant Ducati package. The fairest explanation recognizes both the rider and the team. Ducati’s official final-season report confirms the team total.

Why VR46 brought him back for MotoGP 2027

On September 9, 2026, Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team confirmed that Bulega would join its MotoGP lineup for 2027 on a Ducati, alongside Fermín Aldeguer. He isn’t a complete stranger to MotoGP machinery: he has tested for Ducati and had replacement race appearances in 2025. But 2027 will be his first full MotoGP season. VR46’s official announcement explains the signing.

I find the reunion meaningful. VR46 first supported him when he was young. Team director Alessio Salucci has spoken about knowing him for many years and seeing how much he has developed. This time Bulega returns with world championship experience and remarkable results behind him.

There’s also a sporting reason the move makes sense. His three seasons of WorldSBK results, familiarity with Ducati, MotoGP testing work and experience with Pirelli tires may all be useful when the premier class changes to 850cc engines and a new tire supplier in 2027. But I wouldn’t predict immediate MotoGP victories. A full season against the world’s top prototype riders is a different challenge.

Saying goodbye to WorldSBK, and hello again to MotoGP

After learning about Bulega’s journey, I find myself appreciating him for more than his extraordinary WorldSBK championship statistics.

His career didn’t follow the path everyone expected. VR46 recognized his potential when he was young, Ducati gave him the opportunity to rediscover his winning form, and Bulega made the most of that opportunity.

Now, after becoming WorldSBK champion, he’s returning to the organization that helped him begin his Grand Prix career.

I think that’s a wonderful way to close one chapter and begin another.

Nicolò Bulega is saying goodbye to WorldSBK, but he’s also saying hello again to MotoGP.

And this time, he’s returning not simply as a promising young rider, but as a world champion.

I’ll certainly be following his progress in 2027. I’m curious to see whether the remarkable consistency and race pace that made him so successful in WorldSBK will help him achieve the MotoGP success he once dreamed of.

More racing stories and official sources

• Racing — parent archive
• WorldSBK Rider Features — rider profiles
• WorldSBK and WorldSSP 2026 championship review
• MotoGP 2027 rider lineup and my thoughts on the transfers
• WorldSBK: Bulega’s record-breaking 2026 campaign
• MotoGP: official Bulega rider profile
• Ducati: Bulega’s career biography
• VR46 Racing Team: official 2027 signing announcement

Editorial note: This WorldSBK Rider Feature is independent personal commentary. The statistics and career milestones are based on the cited official records; judgments about his strengths are my observations, not claims based on private team data. All three rider photographs are licensed for editorial reuse, attributed to their photographers with original source and license links. No official WorldSBK or team publicity photo has been copied without permission.