Valentino Rossi has described Nicolo Bulega's full-time MotoGP debut in 2027 with the VR46 Ducati team as "a good story". The nine-time world champion, who now owns the VR46 team, expressed his delight at seeing Bulega return to the fold.
Bulega, currently dominating the WorldSBK championship, will step up to MotoGP next season after agreeing a deal with Rossi's team. It marks a full-circle moment for Bulega, who made his grand prix debut with VR46 in Moto3 back in 2016.
His time in grand prix racing was tough, however, as he scored just two podiums in Moto3, while three years in Moto2 failed to yield any rostrums. He cut ties with the VR46 Academy before moving to World Supersport in 2022, where he won the title in 2023, before successive years as runner-up in WorldSBK with Ducati.
"We're very happy and very proud," Rossi told the official MotoGP world feed at Misano last weekend. "It's a good story, because Nicolo started with us, with the Academy, at the beginning of his career. We helped him a lot. Everyone expected a lot from Nicolo from the beginning. But, unfortunately, maybe he was not ready, and maybe a bit unlucky. After, we split our stories. But he did a fantastic job in Superbikes, he found himself, he became world champion [in World Supersport]. This year, he dominated. He knows the tyres and he knows the new bike, because he's the tester. So, I think it can be fun."
Bulega has one hand on the WorldSBK trophy having won all but one race so far this season. He leads the standings by 146 points heading into this weekend's Cremona round, where he can wrap up the championship with two rounds to spare. Bulega has also spent much of 2026 testing Ducati's 850cc bike ahead of the 2027 MotoGP season.
He will be joined by Fermin Aldeguer at the VR46 team next year, as the Spaniard moves over from Gresini Racing. The combination promises a bright future for Rossi's team. Bulega's story with VR46 is proof that a career in racing is not always linear, and success can come from unexpected paths.
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