MotoGP, Nicolo Bulega backtracks on his previous statements: "I couldn't ride naturally"

Nicolo Bulega, who replaced Marc Marquez in the last two rounds of the 2025 MotoGP championship, thoroughly enjoyed his experience in the premier class. The Ducati Superbike rider even participated in the post-season tests in Valencia, allowing him more freedom to ride than during a Grand Prix. Bulega, undoubtedly the favorite for the 2026 WSBK title in Toprak Razgatlioglu's absence, reflects on his two GPs, where he still managed to score as many points as Pecco Bagnaia!

Bulega felt very fortunate to have been able to take advantage of such an opportunity. However, he had said, in an interview before the Portuguese GP, that Superbike was more of a training ground than Moto2 for the goal of reaching MotoGPYou can tell he's backtracking a bit on what he said. « You go from a motorcycle that inspires confidence to one equipped with a Michelin tire, which doesn't inspire the same sense of calm. So you have to try to stay calmer.When you move from MotoGP to Superbike, you feel you can do more. So for me, it's a more pleasant feeling." he asserted for crash.net.

 

 

More than the electronics or the aerodynamics, it was the tires that caused him the most problems. « With Pirelli tires, you can ride aggressively and stop the motorcycle immediately.. With these Michelin tires, you can't brake aggressively at the beginning of braking; you have to brake later. I kept repeating to myself: "Don't brake like you're using Pirelli tires, don't brake like you're using Pirelli tires." » he added.

Thus, as he had expressed at the time, he had difficulty making the most of his track time during race weekends, because everything happens very quickly. « I wasn't naturally rollingI was only focused on what I had to do on the motorcycle. So, when you ride like that, it's difficult to go fast. he concluded.

Do you think we might see Nicolo Bulega back in MotoGP one of these days? Tell us in the comments!

 

 

Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport