Bulega’s Extensive Ducati Testing Raises Fairness Concerns in MotoGP

The transition from Michelin to Pirelli tyres represents one of the most significant changes in MotoGP for the 2027 season. Two official closed-door test days have already taken place at Brno and Spielberg following their respective race weekends.

Several full-time riders tested the new 850cc prototypes on Pirelli tyres during those sessions, but many will not ride the new bikes until the post-season test in Valencia on 1 December.

This group includes Fabio Quartararo, Francesco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin, Ai Ogura, Alex Marquez, Fabio Di Giannantonio, and rookies Daniel Holgado and David Alonso.

Due to weather conditions, the Valencia test will primarily allow riders changing teams to meet their new engineers and adjust their riding positions.

Testing has been reduced for the new season, with full-time riders receiving just two days at Sepang instead of three, followed by two additional test days in Buriram.

Before the Sepang test, two shakedown days will permit test riders and rookies to participate, providing extra preparation time for the premier class.

Nicolo Bulega has become a focal point of discussion in the paddock. The Italian has already completed 10 days of private testing on Ducati’s 850cc bike with Pirelli tyres, giving him a substantial experience advantage over his rivals.

Bulega will also participate in the two-day Sepang shakedown in late January, meaning he will have significantly more testing time with the new prototypes than any other rider.

Espargaro highlights Bulega’s major advantage

Pol Espargaro, Red Bull KTM Tech3

Photo by: Qian Jun / MB Media via Getty Images

Two private test days were held at Mugello between the races in Misano and Spielberg. Bulega was joined by Pol Espargaro, who was testing the new 850cc KTM. Espargaro believes Bulega’s extensive testing programme is unfair.

“Crazy. It’s absolutely crazy. And I would also say unfair, because he’s going to be a permanent rider next year with the amount of kilometres,” said the KTM test rider.

“He’s building this bike around himself — it’s going to be perfect for him. He’s going to know the bike perfectly and the tyres perfectly. He’s also getting the two extra shakedown days.

“So the amount of experience and speed he’s going to have is going to be insane.

“I feel unfair also for the riders that go from Moto2 to MotoGP compared to the MotoGP riders that are going to stay.

“If I were racing, I would have a lot of advantage over the others. Imagine Bulega coming from a championship where the bike is pretty similar to next year’s MotoGP, which is superbike. With his experience and all that testing, I feel like he’s going to smash everyone.”

He added: “So imagine [Bulega] going to places that he has actually ridden — he has information, which is a lot.

Nicolo Bulega, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Marquez and Acosta also have Bulega in mind

Marc Marquez and his future Ducati team-mate Pedro Acosta have also identified Bulega, who will race for VR46 next year, as a rider to watch. Asked who will be the most interesting new rider, both gave the same answer.

“For me, it is Bulega,” said Marquez. “He’s testing already, he knows the tyres, and I believe he will be fast. He’s a very good rider.

“For me, like Marc said, Bulega will be a nice move. Also, everyone who is moving from Moto2 will be a nice surprise — let’s see how they manage the tyres.”

Nicolo Bulega, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Riders denied testing see themselves at a disadvantage

The riders who will only be able to test an 850cc bike on Pirelli tyres for the first time on 1 December have mixed feelings about the situation. It is clear that having so few test days before the start of the season is a disadvantage.

“What’s happening is not a thing that I’m happy with,” Fabio Di Giannantonio said. “We will have just four days to understand the new bike, new tyres and, in my case, a new team.

“I know that Fabio Quartararo said for him it would be alright to have only four days on the bike, but I think you have to be really lucky in four days to find the perfect set-up, the perfect balance or perfect everything to be able to win the first race.

“At the moment, Bulega is the guy with the most experience on the new bike. Now more riders will try the new bike so they will have some more advantages too.

“But on my side, I would like to have more time to be as ready as I can for the first race, so at the moment I think the things are not going quite equally for everybody.”

Di Giannantonio is not alone in holding that view in the paddock. However, his future KTM team-mate Alex Marquez puts it into perspective: “Apart from Nicolo, the other ones will not have a big advantage.

Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images

“It’s like just two days, one in Brno and one here [in Austria for other race riders]. And maybe even the tyres will not be the same ones because I think Pirelli is changing the tyres every day. The first one that you try, to the ones that we have in Thailand, could be completely different.

So just Nicolo [will have an advantage]. It’s true that he will have a lot of info in the first days in the first races because [he will have done] a lot of kilometres.

“I prefer to not try the bike or the tyres because in Thailand you don’t get confused with the Michelin and our bikes. Let them do the work.

“I also believe in the test riders that KTM have, they are really fast, Dani [Pedrosa] and Pol [Espargaro]. For sure, they are doing good work.”

Acosta tests KTM in Spielberg, Bastianini does not

Some current 1,000cc bikes fitted with Pirelli tyres were also used at the latest Monday test in Spielberg. They had been modified to simulate the performance level of the 850cc bikes.

Some riders who are switching teams next year would have liked to ride a 1,000cc bike on Pirelli tyres to get an initial feel for the tyres. Quartararo publicly criticised Yamaha after it did not allow him to do so.

Enea Bastianini, who is moving to Trackhouse Aprilia, also believes that such a test day with a 1,000cc bike and Pirelli tyres should have been mandatory for all riders.

Enea Bastianini, Red Bull KTM Tech 3

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images

“I tried to negotiate with KTM to see if it was possible to try the bikes, but at the end they told me no,” Bastianini said. “It was better for everybody to try the Pirelli before arriving in Valencia. It was better to be mandatory for everybody.

“Just in one day [at Valencia] it will be very complicated to think about how the future will be with the Pirelli.

“I know that there are some riders with an advantage, like the Moto2 riders. And also Nicolo coming from superbike to MotoGP.

“I think will be not a very big problem for the first race. But it was better to have the chance to try it before. I don’t know why the organiser from that didn’t think about the test. Like, ‘OK, all the riders need to test the Pirelli.'”

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