Stand-In For The Champ! Nicolo Bulega To Serve As Marc Marquez’s Replacement In Portugal, Valencia

Bulega, who tested the Ducati bike in Jerez, is set for his premier class debut as a replacement for champion Marquez, who suffered a collarbone injury in Indonesia. MotoGP outfit Ducati announced that World Superbike runner-up Nicolo Bulega will replace injured champion Marc Marquez in the final two rounds of the season on Friday. Marquez, who suffered a collarbone injury in Indonesia after having wrapped up his seventh crown, will sit out the races in Portugal and Valencia, with Bulega, who tested their bike in Jerez, set for his premier class debut. Ducati’s test rider Michele Pirro replaced Marquez at the Grands Prix in Australia and Malaysia, but Ducati opted to go with Bulega for the remainder of the season. “I’m very happy to end the season with this last-minute surprise. Making the MotoGP debut is the dream of any kid aspiring to become a rider,” Bulega said. “Plus, riding the World Champion bike for the final two races of 2025 makes it even more thrilling,” he added. Bulega was a contender for the World Superbike title with Aruba Racing but the 26-year-old lost out in the final round to Toprak Razgatlioglu, who claimed his third title and will switch to MotoGP next season. “Nicolo has been part of the Ducati Corse family since 2022, when we wanted him to ride the Supersport bike,” Ducati general manager Luigi Dall’Igna said. “We believed in him, and he repaid us with two seasons as an absolute protagonist in Superbike, where he came close to the title and became our reference point as a rider,” Dall’Igna added. (With Inputs From Agencies)