Ten test days: Bulega enters 2027 with an advantage several riders call unfair

Nicolò Bulega already has an unusual amount of experience with Ducati’s next 850cc MotoGP bike. The future VR46 rider has completed around ten days of private testing on the new Pirelli-equipped machine, while many current full-time riders will not discover their 2027 bikes until the Valencia test on December 1.

The gap will grow further: Bulega will also be allowed to take part in the two Sepang shakedown days reserved in particular for test riders and rookies. Pol Espargaró calls the situation ‘unfair’, arguing that Bulega already knows the bike, the tyres and several circuits in this configuration. Fabio Di Giannantonio also believes the preparation conditions are not equal for everyone.

Criticism and regulations still need to be separated. Bulega is not breaking any known rule: Ducati is simply using the current development opportunities available to it. Álex Márquez also plays down the advantage of other riders who have already sampled the 850cc bikes and believes Bulega is the only one with a truly significant head start. The debate is therefore likely to follow the start of MotoGP’s new technical era.