Bulega Clinches WorldSBK Title With Two Rounds to Spare, Heads to MotoGP as Favorite

A title wrapped up early

Nicolo Bulega clinched the 2026 WorldSBK riders' championship in Cremona, Italy, with two rounds of the season still to go. He secured the title by finishing second in both races of the weekend, behind Ducati teammate Iker Lecuona, who completed a clean sweep of the round by winning Race 1, Superpole, and Race 2.

Bulega's consistency, rather than a single dominant weekend, is what defined his season. He set the sport's longest-ever winning streak at 25 races in a row, dating back to 2025, won 26 of his 30 races this year, and never finished off the podium all season.

An emotional finish

Bulega broke down in tears after sealing the championship. "I'm incredibly happy," he said. "I have to say thanks to my team. They gave me an incredible opportunity."

A well-known path to MotoGP

At 26, Bulega came up through Moto3 and Moto2 before switching to Superbikes in 2021, where he developed into one of the category's most dominant riders. He made a brief two-race substitute appearance in MotoGP in 2025, and his move up to the premier class is now confirmed for 2027, where he will race for Valentino Rossi's VR46 team alongside Fermin Aldeguer.

Why the paddock is already talking about him

Bulega arrives in MotoGP with two built-in advantages over most rookies: he already has experience racing on Pirelli tyres, which MotoGP itself is switching to in 2027, and he has done extensive testing on Ducati's 2027-spec bike.

That head start has not gone unnoticed. Marc Marquez and Pedro Acosta have both named him the rider to watch next season, and KTM test rider Pol Espargaro has tipped him as the favorite to win the 2027 title in his rookie year, a remarkable vote of confidence before he has even started a full MotoGP season.