VR46: Ducati 850 “looks very fast”, Bulega “coming home”
VR46 team manager Pablo Nieto says Ducati’s new 850cc MotoGP bike “looks like it’s very fast” ahead of Monday's key test.
Official lap times are yet to be published for MotoGP’s new 850cc machines and Pirelli tyres.
However, reports from private testing have repeatedly placed future MotoGP rider Nicolo Bulega and Ducati on top of the timesheets.
The Italian has been combining development of Ducati’s new machine with his WorldSBK campaign, where he has won all but one race so far this season.
Bulega could officially clinch the 2026 WorldSBK title next time out at Cremona, but his MotoGP future is already secure after being confirmed at VR46, the team where he began his grand prix career.
“We are very happy he’s coming back home,” VR46 team manager Pablo Nieto told MotoGP pit lane reporter Jack Appleyard at Misano.
“He’s doing an amazing job [in WorldSBK] and also it’s very important that he’s the test rider for Ducati. He’s doing a super job as a test rider.”
Nieto played down the head start Bulega might gain over the MotoGP regulars from his extensive testing mileage.
“This is MotoGP. All the riders here are superstars, and in one or two days they will get into the rhythm [with the new bikes and tyres]."
However, Nieto highlighted Monday’s Red Bull Ring test - the second outing open to selected race riders, with all manufacturers together on track - as an important indication of whether the new Ducati is as fast as it appears.
“The Monday test after Austria will be very important to see if we really have some advantage or not,” Nieto said.
“It’s important that [Bulega] already knows the tyres and bike, the development of the bike. But the most important thing is that, at the moment, [the Ducati 850] looks like it’s very fast.”
Also speaking at Misano, Bulega said of the new machine: “I really like the Ducati 850.
"It's a very good bike, with the new tyres, Pirelli, that I like because I use them also in Superbike.
“I've made a couple of good tests, and it's nice to try the bike before next season.”
Ducati, like the other MotoGP manufacturers, is yet to confirm which riders will be on track for the post-race test in Austria.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
