Niccolò Bulega and Francesco Bagnaia had a brief stint as teammates for Ducati at the end of the 2025 MotoGP season, but one rider’s future could affect the other.
Ducati brought open From the World Superbike Championship to the last two rounds of MotoGP, having lost Marc Marquez to injury. The challenge rider Michel Pirro stopped at the beginning Marquez For two races, Bulega looked at his career with the Ducati Works WSBK team.
Bulega MotoGP debut in Portugal And the 2025 Valencia final gave the 26-year-old a taste of what his life could look like in 2027. The Italian signed a new WSBK contract with Ducati for 2026 in June, which also includes a MotoGP test rider role, which could be a stepping stone.
Ducati have made decisions to keep most of their MotoGP riders, like Marquez, stable. Bagnaya And Fabio D’Giantantonio All are out of contract at the end of 2026. Fermin Aldeguer is on a two-year factory deal to race for Gresini, but the terms include options for 2027 and 2028.
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The VR46 are Nicolo Bulega’s preferred backup should Ducati catch Francesco Bagna.
Ducati is expected to be in the main heart MotoGP rider market Due to the condition of their factory contract riders in 2026. And GPON Bulega’s ‘dream’ is set to go straight from Ducati’s factory World Superbike team to their factory MotoGP team.
Read more: Everything you need to know about Niccolò Bulega from height to career
But Bulega will first have to wait to see what Ducati decides to do with Bagnaia, as any negotiations to re-sign the two-time MotoGP champion will take place before the Borgo Pangale native considers the future of the 2025 WSBK racer. So Bulega is weighing his options.
Bulega pays close attention to satellite Ducati teams; VR46 And GresiniAs they can also have a seat in 2027. VR46 gave Franco Morbidelli In September, a new contract for 2026, and Ducati will have to decide the future of Giannantonio and whether to leave him in the VR46 in 2027.
The VR46 would be the obvious backup option for the Bulevar, should Ducati move to MotoGP with a satellite team in 2027. Gresini could be an option for Buleaga in 2027, as Alex Marquez is out of contract with the team outright in 2026.
The VR46 could make Ducati’s satellite stable after the 2026 MotoGP season.
Morbidelli and Di Giannantonio’s futures at VR46 after 2026 may not be the only subject on Bulega’s mind, as he will monitor the situation at Valentino Rossi’s team should Ducati look elsewhere for the 2027 rider line-up. The VR46’s future on the Ducati ecosystem is unclear.
Read more: Everything you need to know about the Valentino Rossi VR46 from the current rider to the bike
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The VR46 could leave Ducati and become a satellite Aprilia team in 2027.As their contract with the satellite Ducati team expires in 2026, Trackhouse may join Honda as a satellite team in 2027.That would free up the two satellite Aprilia RS-GPs for the VR46.
Bulega’s backup plan should change if VR46 leaves the Ducati fold, with Bagnaia securing a new contract for the Bologna Bullet Factory team. There will be a chance for Bulega to prove his dream to MotoGP in the Ducati works team.
Ducati could sign Bulega and Pedro Acosta for 2027.He promised the former that he would go to MotoGP at the beginning of the new rules cycle. The Borgo Pangale outfit is also now widely believed to be Acosta’s destination if the Spaniard leaves KTM at the end of 2026.
