Nicolo Bulega has just made history – suffering the first crash recorded on Ducati’s future 850cc MotoGP prototype, as the racing world eyes Misano for Ducati’s centenary celebrations. This is no ordinary week in the world of two wheels.
The Italian rising star, who is currently a force in World Superbike with the Aruba.it Racing Team, spent two grueling days pushing the revolutionary Ducati 850 to its limits on the iconic Misano circuit. Along with experienced test rider Michele Pirro and Honda’s Takaaki Nakagami, Bulega was tasked with shaping the next chapter of Ducati’s racing dominance. But on Wednesday came the drama: a high-profile fall at Cairo Corner was not only Bulega’s first fall on the new machine – it was the first crash in the Ducati 850’s short but headline-grabbing life. Undaunted, Bulega dusted himself off, reset and hammered away from Bologna to complete a crucial session of development on the “Red Machine”.
It all comes during a rare lull in the extremely heated MotoGP and Superbike calendars – a momentary armistice before the storm begins again next week. But on the Italian Riviera, motorsport refuses to sleep. Ducati’s World Ducati Week (WDW) comes alive, promising a centenary extravaganza that will see legends and current legends clash in the much-awaited Race of Champions. Sunday’s showpiece will pit Ducati’s best players against each other in a no-holds-barred duel on identical Panigale V4-S machines. Francesco Bagnaia, who has reigned supreme with consecutive wins in the last two editions, is eyeing a historic hat-trick. Bulega is waiting, hungry for redemption after last year’s race ended in heartbreak – an infamous last corner clash with Marc Marquez saw his hopes shattered at the eleventh hour.
The stakes have never been higher for Bulega. His tests this week weren’t just about development – they were a proving ground for his future. As the curtain rises on Ducati’s centenary, off-track conversation is heating up. The Bullega camp is in deep talks with Ducati and the VR46 team for a blockbuster move to MotoGP for 2027. On the table: An attractive 1+1 contract offer, with one guaranteed year offered with the option of a second – potentially setting the stage for Bulega to join the game’s elite in the coming seasons.
Despite the drama, Bulega’s reaction following his spill was notably calm. “It was a small mistake, nothing serious. The important thing is that I’m OK and we collected a lot of useful data for the team,” he said, downplaying the incident but underscoring the constant pursuit of progress that defines the MotoGP paddock.
Meanwhile, the Race of Champions is imminent – an event that could rewrite the pecking order among Ducati’s stars. Marquez, Bagnaia, Bulega: all eager for glory, all with a point to prove. For Bulega, it’s not just about winning a showpiece race – it’s a chance to cement his reputation as Ducati’s next big hope on the Superbike stage and, soon, perhaps as a future MotoGP headliner.
As WDW prepares to ignite Misano with the thunder of Italian engineering, the motorsport world is watching closely. Will Bagnia achieve his treble? Can Bulega rid itself of last year’s ghosts and seize its moment? And will this week’s drama accelerate his rise to MotoGP’s main stage? One thing is certain: the next chapter of Ducati’s history is now being written, and the Bulega is at the center of the action.
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