WorldSBK: Nicolo Bulega will replace Rinaldi next season

Nicolo Bulega will make the step-up to WorldSBK next season and will be Bautista’s teammate.

Nicolo Bulega will join the factory Ducati WorldSBK team next season after announcing the step up from WorldSSP. Bulega will replace Michael Ruben Rinaldi next season in the Aruba.it Ducati squad.

The 23-year-old first signed for Ducati at the start of the 2022 WorldSSP season racing the Ducati Panigale V2. Nicolo Bulega finished fourth in the standings, taking a best finish of second at Most and Phillip Island.

Bulega and Ducati have had an impressive season, taking 13 podiums and nine race wins before the summer break. Bulega leads the standings by 46 points from Stefano Manzi with four rounds remaining.

Before joining the WorldSBK paddock, Bulega raced in the Grand Prix paddock for seven seasons. His best season in Grand Prix came in 2016, finishing seventh In the Moto3 standings with the VR46 team. His best result of the season came at Jerez with a second-place finish in his first full season in the class.

Bulega said: “I want to be honest: this is a dream coming true. Racing for an official team is the desire of every rider. Therefore, before I talk about my emotions and expectations, I want to thank Ducati and Aruba.it Racing.

“I am also extremely grateful for the opportunity I was given already last season by Aruba.it and Feel Racing and especially by Stefano Cecconi, Serafino Foti and Daniele Casolari. They chose me to ride a fantastic Ducati Panigale V2, on which I felt immediately comfortable.

“I know how important this opportunity is and I will always give my best to improve myself, day after day, with the only goal of getting the best possible results. “I say it again: thank you for the trust. Thinking about the history of this Team, where great champions have always raced, I feel proud to be able to defend the same colours.

“Also, I am very happy to be able to share the box with Alvaro Bautista. Having him as a teammate will be a big plus: I will try to absorb every information I can learn from him.”

Image credit: Ducati Media