Nicolo Bulega will arrive in MotoGP in 2027 with a preparation base that few rookies can match. The Italian is set to race for VR46 Ducati after accumulating substantial mileage on Ducati’s new 850cc prototype, while his WorldSBK career has also given him extensive experience with Pirelli tyres. KTM test rider Pol Espargaro believes that combination could put Bulega at the front of the rookie group from the opening phase of the season.

Speaking at the Red Bull Ring, Espargaro called the advantage “crazy”. His assessment is based on more than Bulega’s raw pace: Bulega has played a leading role in developing the motorcycle, giving him direct familiarity with both the Ducati 850 and its Pirelli tyres. Espargaro went as far as saying Bulega could “smash everyone” at the start of 2027. That is an emphatic prediction about the competitive benefit, not a confirmed forecast of the Buriram race result.

A different preparation path

The contrast with the other newcomers is central to Espargaro’s argument. Izan Guevara and Senna Agius are believed to have used adapted 1000cc machines during Monday’s Red Bull Ring test. David Alonso and Dani Holgado had still to make their MotoGP debuts when Crash.net published its report. Bulega did not take part in that Austrian session because he was concentrating on finishing his WorldSBK title campaign at Cremona. Missing that test does not erase the development mileage he had already completed on the 850cc machine.

The rookies will also receive two additional official testing days through the Sepang Shakedown. Their overall winter programme will therefore reach seven days, compared with five official days for established MotoGP riders beginning at Valencia. That extra track time matters because teams will be learning a new motorcycle and Pirelli’s tyres at the same time. With the concessions rankings reset for 2027, manufacturers will not be able to place experienced MotoGP riders in the Shakedown.

Why circuit familiarity can matter

Espargaro illustrated the value of prior testing with his own wildcard appearances. At the Hungarian round, he finished second in FP1 after having tested at the circuit beforehand. In his view, Bulega can draw on a similar advantage at Mugello, Jerez and Misano, where he already has information and experience. The comparison has an important distinction: Bulega will enter the season as a full-time racer, while Espargaro was describing the effect from his test-rider and wildcard role.

About half of the current MotoGP grid has already completed Pirelli mileage at the Brno and Red Bull Ring tests. Jorge Martin, Pecco Bagnaia, Fabio Quartararo, Alex Marquez, Ai Ogura, Fabio di Giannantonio and Enea Bastianini will have to wait until Valencia for their first run on the tyres because of team changes. That leaves Bulega with a particularly relevant combination of tyre knowledge, prototype experience and circuit data before his first full MotoGP campaign.

Bulega previously made his MotoGP debut as a replacement for the injured Marc Marquez in the final two races of the previous season. At the Red Bull Ring test, Franco Morbidelli took Bulega’s place on the Ducati 850 alongside Marc Marquez and Fermin Aldeguer. Espargaro’s wider point is that Bulega can help Ducati immediately as well as benefit himself: his speed and familiarity should allow him to push the bike hard from the first race and contribute useful direction to its development.