Nicolo Bulega used Jerez World Superbike test to get over Ducati MotoGP stint

Ducati’s Nicolo Bulega said poor weather rendered this week’s Jerez World Superbike test “not very useful”, with the Italian having to readjust his style after his recent MotoGP stint.

The 2025 World Superbike championship runner-up hadn’t ridden the Panigale V4 since last October’s post-season test at Jerez, after which he made his MotoGP debut.

Nicolo Bulega joined the factory Ducati team at the final two rounds of the 2025 MotoGP season as Marc Marquez’s injury replacement, as well as taking part in the post-race Valencia test.

Only completing 20 laps on the final day of the Jerez test, having completely sat out day one, due to poor weather, he said that track time was needed to readjust from MotoGP to World Superbikes again.

“[It] was not a very useful test because I did only 20 laps,” he told the official World Superbike website.

“And last time I rode a bike before the winter was in MotoGP.

“So, I just used these 20 laps to take back the Superbike feeling. I hope the next test will be better.”

Bulega suffered a crash during Thursday’s running at Jerez, which he said was the result of hitting a damp patch after running wide at Turn 5.

“Yeah, it was the first test,” he added.

“It was not so bad, honestly. But the problem was the weather.

“The track conditions were very bad, and there were a lot of wet patches around the track.

“I crashed at Turn 5 because I was 10cm wider, and I took a wet patch, and I crashed.”

Despite the limited track time at Jerez this week due to the weather, Bulega remained positive about Ducati’s 2026-spec Panigale V4.

“The first impression is good, but I already tried it last time here in October,” he said.

“The impression is good, but it’s a new bike. So, we need to stay on it and make more laps.”

World Superbike testing continues next week at Portimao, with the 2026 season commencing on 20-22 February in Australia.

As well as his campaign in World Superbikes, Bulega is set to have at least three private tests with Ducati as part of its 2027 MotoGP bike development.