Two-time MotoGP race winner Danilo Petrucci has praised Nicolo Bulega as a “phenomenon”, stating he is on the same level as Toprak Razgatlioglu.
This year’s World Superbike title battle was tightly contested between BMW rider Toprak Razgatlioglu and Ducati’s Nicolo Bulega. Razgatlioglu eventually secured his third world title and will move to MotoGP in 2026 with the Pramac Yamaha team.
Bulega enters the 2026 season as the frontrunner for the World Superbike championship while also taking on an important MotoGP testing role for Ducati. The Italian earned two points during his MotoGP stand-in appearances last season while replacing the injured Marc Marquez. He is expected to join the MotoGP grid full-time in 2027 with Ducati, helping lead the development of the upcoming 850cc machine using Pirelli tyres.
Petrucci believes both Razgatlioglu and Bulega have what it takes to win races in MotoGP, adding that Bulega’s performance this year deserves recognition on the same level as Toprak. He said Bulega has proven himself to be exceptionally strong and expects him to reach Toprak’s level within a year.
Petrucci, who claimed MotoGP victories in 2019 and 2020 with Ducati, rode a customer Ducati in World Superbikes last season. He will switch to BMW for the 2026 campaign, partnering with five-time MotoGP race winner Miguel Oliveira, who moves over from Pramac Yamaha.
