The Superbike World Championship is on the cusp of profound change. Not only are the biggest stars of today and the past considering their departures, but one of the rising stars, Nicolò Bulega, is openly flirting with the idea of moving up to MotoGP.
The Superbike World Championship is entering a pivotal phase. The legendary figures who have driven the category in recent years are leaving, and even the talents expected to embody its future are now looking elsewhere. This is particularly the case for Nicholas Bulega, current leader of the championship and pillar of the project Ducati, which is starting serious discussions to join MotoGP from 2027.
The information is now clear: Ducati wishes to renew the contract of Open up en World SBK, but with a much broader perspective. We are in the middle of negotiations. Ducati loves Nicolò, he is part of our family and we want the best for him, today and in the future ", said Mauro Grassilli, sports director of DucatiThe plan being discussed? A final season in Superbike in 2026, before a jump to MotoGP the following year.
The timing is no coincidence. The Superbike Championship is undergoing an inevitable transition: Toprak Razgatlioglu flirt with Yamaha for a passage in MotoGP, Jonathan Rea could hang up his leathers after a serious injury, and Alvaro Bautista is not certain to be extended by DucatiThe landscape is crumbling, and Ducati already seems to anticipate the movement.
Ducati: “ with Nicolò Bulega We plan to let our young riders develop in Superbike, then integrate them into MotoGP »
At the heart of this reflection, a major technical parameter: the arrival of Pirelli in MotoGP from 2027. Pirelli will make completely different tires in MotoGP and Superbike, but we know Nicolò has experience with them. We are considering letting our young riders develop in Superbike and then integrating them into MotoGP. The idea is to give Nicolò the opportunity to test in MotoGP ", concluded Grassilli.
Open up, often perceived as an under-exploited nugget, could thus take the path ofEnea Bastianini ou George Martin, first establishing himself in a satellite team before claiming an official seat. The question remains: with whom would he make his debut? Ducati did not confirm whether he would directly join an official structure or whether he would go through a springboard such as Gresini ou VR46.
What is certain is that the MotoGP option could tip the balance in favor of Ducati, despite the financially more generous offers from BMW. And while the spotlight is on Open up, Superbike will have to quickly reinvent itself: without Toprak, Rea, Bautista or Bulega, it's a whole page that is turning.
