Nicolo Bulega steps up to WorldSBK with Ducati
Even before he wrapped up this year’s FIM Supersport World Championship, Italy’s Nicolo Bulega had his efforts in the category rewarded with a seat at Ducati’s World Superbike team for 2024. Bulega will replace Michael Ruben Rinaldi at Aruba.it Racing – Ducati, joining Alvaro Bautista in the factory WorldSBK team.
As it came a day after Jonathan’s Rea’s shock move to Yamaha, Bulega’s signing to Aruba.it Racing – Ducati WorldSK almost got overlooked, but it was reward for a dominant effort in World Supersport (WorldSSP) that saw the 24-year-old Italian wrap up this year’s championship with one round remaining.
Making his WorldSSP debut last year with Aruba.it Racing (who were also making their debut in the category), Bulega turned a mediocre 2022 season into a dominant one in 2023, winning 16 of 24 races and only finishing off the podium on three occasions.
Bulega came to WorldSSP after six seasons in the grand prix paddock across Moto3 and Moto2 classes, where his tall stature counted against him on the small bikes.
"I want to be honest: this is a dream come true,” Bulega said. “Racing for an official team is the desire of every rider. Therefore, before I talk about my emotions and expectations, I want to thank Ducati and Aruba.it Racing.
“I know how important this opportunity is and I will always give my best to improve myself, day after day, with the only goal of getting the best possible results. I say it again: thank you for the trust.
“Also, I am very happy to be able to share the box with Alvaro Bautista. Having him as a teammate will be a big plus: I will try to absorb every information I can learn from him."
The transition from WorldSSP to WorldSBK shouldn’t be too extreme for Bulega, as he’s essentially with the same team and the Ducati Panigale V4 R he’ll ride in 2024 isn’t a huge leap from the V2 version he’s been on for the past two seasons.
Bulega has already tested the V4R and showed good potential on the four-cylinder machine, according to Aruba.it team Principal, Stefano Cecconi.
"Nicolo is a choice that makes us proud because it confirms the quality of the project we undertook two years ago in the SuperSport World Championship,” Cecconi said. “His growth has been steady and we expect him to continue on this path riding a Panigale V4 R, as he has proven he can be very fast with this bike during testing.
“From the beginning, we have believed in the talent of Nicolò who, moreover, in this year and a half has shown great professionalism and attachment to the colors of the Team.”
Ducati Corse General Manager, Gigi DalI’igna, also expects Bulega to perform well on the Panigale V4 R with Aurba.it Racing next year.
“Since last season, Nicolo has been able to give us immense delight. He is a very talented rider, and his experience (despite his young age) could be a determining factor in facing this fascinating and demanding challenge. During the test held with the Ducati Panigale V4 R machine, he has shown that he has the potential to compete with the best riders in the WorldSBK Championship, and sharing the garage with Alvaro Bautista will only help him grow."
