World Superbike title runner-up Nicolo Bulega says he is \u201chappy and a little nervous\u201d ahead of his much-anticipated MotoGP debut at Portimao this weekend.<\/p>\n
Bulega<\/a> – who spent six years in Moto3 and Moto2 before spectacularly relaunching his stalled career in the WorldSBK<\/a> paddock – has been called up to replace injured champion Marc Marquez in the factory Ducati team for the final two rounds.<\/p>\n Although Bulega is staying in WorldSBK for 2026, he will also take on MotoGP testing duties alongside Michele Pirro and is seen as a leading contender for a Desmosedici race seat in the new Pirelli era from 2027.<\/p>\n The Italian got his first taste of the current Ducati <\/a>GP25 during a private test at Jerez last Thursday.<\/p>\n \u201cI’m happy and at the same time a little nervous about this debut,\u201d Bulega said.<\/p>\n Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n \u201cI want to enjoy the moment but also do a good job with the whole team.<\/p>\n \u201cI have no expectations in terms of results; I want to start gaining confidence with the Desmosedici GP.<\/p>\n \u201cLet’s also consider that we’ll be riding on a very unique and demanding track like Portimao.\u201d<\/p>\n Bulega finished runner-up in this year\u2019s Portimao WorldSBK races, having taken a victory at the circuit during his 2023 title-winning World Supersport campaign.<\/p>\n While Bulega makes his premier-class debut, newly crowned triple WorldSBK champion Toprak Razgatlioglu will also be on track this weekend – testing a MotoGP bike at Aragon<\/a> ahead of his 2026 move to Pramac Yamaha.<\/p>\n Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n