Nicolo Bulega: "I had alternatives" to Ducati, "but..."

Nicolo Bulega believes he doesn’t “need anything special” to win his first WorldSBK title in 2025.

The Italian will enter this weekend’s UK Round with a nine-point lead over Toprak Razgatlioglu after the BMW rider took all three wins at Misano last time out, while Bulega finished second in the two long races and didn’t finish after contact with Axel Bassani in the Superpole Race.

The World Superbike second-year has taken a substantial step forward in performance from his rookie campaign in 2024, which already ended with him second in the riders’ standings.

“Last year, I didn’t start with the idea of fighting for the Championship,” Nicolo Bulega told WorldSBK.com.

“It was a surprise for me to be so competitive until the last race.

“I won six races in my first year in WorldSBK; the first one was very special. The end of the season was also special.

“When I was arriving at a new track, confirming my speed and gaining experience was important for me for 2025.”

Now, this year, championship leader Bulega says his target is simply to improve on what he achieved last year.

“The goal is trying to improve the position of last year,” he said.

“Only one can win and we’re here to try and do it.

“I think I don’t need anything special. I just need to stay calm, work like always and never give up.”

Although this season has been dominated by Bulega and Razgatlioglu, the balance between them has shifted from circuit to circuit. The Italian suggests that this will continue for the remainder of the year.

“We know some circuits can be difficult, like Magny-Cours and maybe Estoril,” he said.

“Other circuits, like Aragon, Jerez, I can go fast.”

He added: “Until now, I’d evaluate my 2025 season as very good.

“We’ve had some victories, a lot of podiums and some pole positions and always at the front.

“I’m happy because we’re still fighting for the championship, and this is my goal.

“This can be my year. I’ll try to do everything. I know my rivals are very, very strong, but I know I can be strong too.

“I started well and I continue doing well, being fast and strong. I hope this lasts until the end of the season.”

Ducati renewal: Feeling with the team “very important”

The first reward for Bulega’s impressive first half of the season has been his renewal with the Aruba.it Racing Ducati team, which has also seen the Italian included in the Ducati MotoGP test team with an eye to a potential move to the grand prix paddock in 2027.

Bulega explained that, aside from the MotoGP add-ons and evident performance of the Panigale V4 R, his feeling with the factory Ducati team itself was an important factor in his decision to continue his relationship with the team into next year.

“I’m really happy to continue with Ducati and Aruba for one more year,” he said.

“I had some alternatives but my main goal from the first day was to stay with them because I remember my first test with them, I remember feeling at home from the first day.

“The feeling with the bike is the most important thing but the feeling with the team, with a lot of people you have to stay with all year, is very important.

“When I started to talk to my manager and other brands, I only said that our main goal was to stay with Ducati.”