Reigning World Superbike champion Nicolo Bulega says he had a “concrete” option to join KTM in MotoGP for the 2027 season before signing with VR46.
The Italian joined Ducati’s MotoGP testing programme for 2026 to help spearhead development of the 850cc bike and utilise his knowledge of the Pirelli tyres.
This was seen as a sure-fire step towards a MotoGP seat within the Ducati stable for 2027, though at one stage of the rider market he looked like he was going to miss out.
Bulega had been linked to a potential Trackhouse move to Aprilia and also with the KTM stable.
Nicolo Bulega, Iker Lecuona, 2026 Estoril WorldSBK, parc ferme. Credit: Gold and Goose.
© Gold & Goose
“I always said I would have liked to stay with Ducati”
The Italian, who won the WorldSBK title last month with Ducati after a dominant season, will reunite with Valentino Rossi’s VR46 squad in 2027, having previously raced for it in Moto2 in 2019.
However, in an interview with GPOne, Bulega admits his “most concrete” option at one stage was KTM, while Aprilia was less likely.
“We had to wait for the most important riders, those at the centre of the market, to make their moves,” Bulega said.
“The possibility of joining KTM was there, and it was probably the most concrete.
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“My manager had met with some executives.
“There was also a possibility, perhaps more limited, with Aprilia.
“However, I've always said I would have liked to continue with Ducati.
“I arrived in 2022, we started in Supersport and then they gave me the opportunity to race directly in Superbike with the factory team.
“We won a lot of races and this year the world championship arrived - the icing on the cake.
“Continuing with Ducati was my greatest desire and in the end we achieved it. Now a new challenge begins.”
Bulega will join Fermin Aldeguer at the VR46 Ducati squad next season.
The Italian has already been touted by some of his rivals as being a major threat in the early races of 2027 due to his knowledge of the new bikes and tyres.
However, he has downplayed this.
Bulega is in action in WorldSBK for the final time with Ducati this weekend at Jerez ahead of his MotoGP move next year.
Lewis joined the Crash.net team in August of 2024 having been a journalist for five years covering MotoGP for the Motorsport Network. In February of 2026, he became Head of Editorial.