Claudio Domenicali couldn't hide his pride. The Ducati CEO described Nicolo Bulega's 2026 WorldSBK season as "very special", not just for the title, but for the manner of his domination.
Bulega has already clinched the championship with six races to spare, making it the first time since 2022 that the title has been decided before the final round. In the 30 races so far, he has finished on the podium in every single one and won 26 of them. Those numbers would impress anyone, including Claudio Domenicali.
"We feel very proud," Domenicali told WorldSBK.com after Race 2 in Italy. "It's been very special because not only Nicolo won the championship, but also how he dominated. We had a new bike this year, the new Panigale, so we were actually expecting to improve performance, but actually the performance of the new Panigale has been very strong. Nicolo did something really fantastic because the number of consecutive wins that he made all together has been incredible."
Bulega's journey with Ducati hasn't always been smooth. He arrived when his Moto2 career was struggling, then restarted in Supersport with the Aruba team. Ducati's faith paid off: Bulega won both Supersport and Superbike titles, a first for any rider.
"Actually, he came here in the moment of his career which was complicated," Domenicali recalled. "But then the team trusted him, we trusted him, and he restarted from Supersport, and actually winning Supersport and Superbike together is the first time. So, it's a very remarkable achievement, and also we are very excited about the new step because we found a way to have a deal for him in MotoGP, so it could be a very good story for motorsport in general."
Next season, Nicolo Bulega will move to MotoGP with VR46. He becomes the second WorldSBK champion in two seasons to switch to the grand prix paddock after Toprak Razgatlioglu made the move this year with Yamaha. Unlike Razgatlioglu, Bulega will spend 2026 testing Ducati's 2027 bike, the first of the new MotoGP era with 850cc engines and Pirelli tyres.
Bulega's dominance also underscores Ducati's strength in WorldSBK. With the new Panigale, the Borgo Panigale manufacturer has not only maintained supremacy but widened the gap to its rivals. Meanwhile, Bulega's move to MotoGP adds extra intrigue, as he will bring championship-winning experience to a bigger stage.
For Ducati, Bulega's story is proof that trusting a rider in difficult times can pay off. Now, all eyes will be on the next step: can Bulega replicate his WorldSBK success in MotoGP?
Baca Juga
CEO Ducati Claudio Domenicali menyatakan Franco Morbidelli 'paling mungkin' menjadi pembalap Ducati WorldSBK 2027, mendampingi Iker Lecuona.
Nicolo Bulega juara WorldSBK 2026 dengan dominasi 26 kemenangan. Bos Ducati Stefano Cecconi mengaku lega dan yakin Bulega siap ke MotoGP.
Max Biaggi mengaku kesepian tanpa pembalap Italia juara WorldSBK. Kini Nicolo Bulega akhiri penantian 14 tahun dan siap ke MotoGP 2027.
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