Carlos Checa was seriously surprised after comparing Niccolò Bulegan’s WSBK lap times to Marc Marquez’s MotoGP.
open26, is currently racing for the Ducati factory team in the Superbike World Championship.
The Italian is currently on a 25-race winning streak, putting him ahead of his rivals, which has attracted the attention of the MotoGP teams.
It is expected before the 2027 season Bulega joins the VR46 MotoGP teamWhere he will ride alongside Spaniard Fermin Aldeguer.
Which series will benefit more from Nicolo Bulega’s move: MotoGP or Superbikes?
Bulega ran away with this year’s WCSB Championship.
Carlos Checa says Niccolò Buleaga has ‘grown significantly’ ahead of MotoGP action.
He said recently. Speed weekFormer MotoGP and WSBK rider Cheka criticized Bulegan’s performances and the impact he could have when he joins VR46 next year.
Bulega, 53, thinks he is ‘perfectly suited’ to the Ducati WSBK bike, which has enabled him to embark on a remarkable winning streak.
Checa was surprised that Bulega’s laps in the most recent race were one second slower than Marquez’s MotoGP qualifying time.
He said: “Ducati are very committed to the Superbike World Championship, and their new bike is a better second place than last year’s model. The changes make a difference of one second – the competition simply cannot be made up overnight.”
Bulega has an experienced and great team and is a perfect fit for the bike. However, even with those advantages, it has been incredibly difficult to win 25 consecutive races so far. This shows that it is riding with a high margin of safety.
How many podiums will Niccolò Bulega score as a rookie if he moves to MotoGP for 2027?
At the World Superbikes Balaton Park, Bulega’s pace set him on the MotoGP Hungarian GP stage!
Checa added: “Ducati has a great plan for next year. The Bullega is fast and mentally mature enough to stay where it is and give the engineers as much feedback as possible to choose the right direction.”
“During the Superbike race in Aragon, he was one second slower than Marc Marquez in qualifying – on a long track, with a bike 11kg heavier and equipped with steel brakes.
“He’s definitely at the level required for MotoGP. If Ducati didn’t have the fuel capacity limit, he’d be faster on the Superbike.”
Bulega has long been targeted for a move to MotoGP, having been drafted in as Marquez’s replacement for the final two weekends of the 2025 season.
In addition, the 26-year-old will use 850cc from the 2027 campaign.
Bulega’s recent test times have further confirmed that he is ready to compete in MotoGP, often beating the likes of Dani Pedrosa (KTM), Augusto Fernandez (Yamaha) and Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia).
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