Ducati considers handing Nicolo Bulega MotoGP debut, replacing Marc Marquez at Portimao

With Marc Marquez unlikely to return at the Portuguese Grand Prix in three weeks, Ducati is considering giving its World Superbike Championship rider Nicolo Bulega a chance in the MotoGP.

Bulega signed a two-season contract with Ducati in May this year as a WSBK rider and MotoGP tester, leveraging his experience with Pirelli tyres, which will be introduced to the premier class in 2027.

With the superbike season ending this weekend in Jerez, where everything points to the title going to Bulega’s rival Toprak Razgatlioglu, Bulega will not have any major commitments in November.

Given this situation, and with MotoGP doctor Angel Charte stating that it  would be “very difficult” for Marquez to return in Portugal, speculation about the possibility of Bulega becoming an alternative option for Ducati has intensified.

Speaking to DAZN, Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi said on Friday that the nine-time world champion would almost certainly not be at Portimao, and that “we would like him to be in Valencia, for the last race of the year, but he must first undergo a medical check-up before we can determine if that is a possibility. If he ultimately can’t be there, that’s fine.”

This implies that Ducati is okay with the possibility of Marquez not returning to a MotoGP bike until the Sepang test in February 2026.

Regarding rumours about Bulega replacing Marquez at Portimao, Tardozzi admitted that “it’s a possibility. Nicolo is in Jerez this weekend fighting for the SBK world championship; he shouldn’t be distracted from that goal. After that, we will study the possibility of him making his MotoGP debut at Portimao.

Tardozzi declined to comment on whether Ducati will organize a test day for Bulega before that potential debut, as it’s also unclear whether it would be mandatory. “It would be useful, we’ll evaluate it after the Jerez weekend,” he said.

Marquez suffered a fracture to his right shoulder when he was taken out by Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi on the opening lap of the Indonesian Grand Prix.

He flew back to Spain after the race and has since undergone an operation on the broken shoulder.

Ducati has already announced that Marquez will be missing the Australia-Malaysia double-header to recover from the injury.

Its test rider Michele Pirro has only been confirmed for this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix and it is understood that he will also be on duty in Malaysia on 25-26 October.

Photos from Australian GP – Practice

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– The Motorsport.com Team