A new name will make his debut on the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship grid next year as Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) gets the nod to race alongside Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). The current WorldSSP Championship leader has long been linked with the seat next to the #1 and his future is now secure as Ducati puts faith in their World Supersport star. He will take the place of Michael Ruben Rinaldi whose future with the Ducati squad is coming to an end after three seasons, three wins and 16 podiums to date.

BULEGA’S STORY: from JuniorGP™ Champion to factory Ducati WorldSBK star in the making

The Italian was the first rider signed for Ducati’s World Supersport comeback in 2022, the manufacturer’s first WorldSSP appearances since 2007. Bulega switched from the MotoGP™ paddock after competing in 50 Moto3™ races, taking two podiums and two pole positions, as well as three seasons in Moto2™ where he was unable to showcase his potential. Prior to that, the 23-year-old competed in the FIM CEV Moto3™ Junior World Championship (now JuniorGP™) and claimed the title in his second season in 2015, taking one win at Jerez.

However, his World Supersport success has been one of his main career highlights; 2022 promised a lot but a first race win eluded him all-season. A strong start to the year welcomed him into the class with eight podiums in 15 races, but then just one more podium was achieved in the final nine, leaving him fourth in the Championship with three fastest laps and a total of nine rostrums.

For 2023, Bulega was the second-highest placed returnee to the class from the year before, with Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) set to challenge him hard. However, a majestic start to the year saw him storm to a Phillip Island double, whilst Oncu and Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) fought back in Indonesia at Mandalika. Four wins in the next five races came Bulega’s way however, whilst it was now Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) who was his main threat after Oncu’s injury. A double by Bulega at Donington Park saw his lead extend but fellow countryman Manzi retaliated with a double of his own at Imola, with his lead down to 41 ahead of Most.

ON CLOUD NINE: “This is a dream come true”

Speaking about his move up to World Superbike for 2024, Bulega’s is delighted of what is a dream chance: “I want to be honest: this is a dream come true. Racing for an official team is the desire of every rider. Therefore, before I talk about my emotions and expectations, I want to thank Ducati and Aruba.it Racing. And I am also extremely grateful for the opportunity I was given already last season by Aruba.it and Feel Racing and especially by Stefano Cecconi, Serafino Foti and Daniele Casolari. They chose me to ride a fantastic Ducati Panigale V2, on which I felt immediately comfortable. I know how important this opportunity is and I will always give my best to improve myself, day after day, with the only goal of getting the best possible results. I say it again: thank you for the trust. Thinking about the history of this team, where great champions have always raced, I feel proud to be able to defend the same colours. Also, I am very happy to be able to share the box with Alvaro Bautista. Having him as a teammate will be a big plus: I will try to absorb every information I can learn from him.”

DUCATI ON THEIR LATEST STAR: “Fast, talented… potential to compete with the best riders in WorldSBK”

Stefano Cecconi, the Team Principal at Aruba.it Racing – Ducati, added: “Nicolo is a choice that makes us proud because it confirms the quality of the project, we undertook two years ago in World Supersport. His growth has been steady, and we expect him to continue this path riding a Panigale V4 R, as he has proven he can be very fast with this bike during testing. From the beginning, we have believed in the talent of Nicolo who, moreover, in this year and a half has shown great professionalism and attachment to the colours of the team. I would also like to address a big thank you to Michael Ruben Rinaldi with whom the professional and human relationship has always been very strong. Even if our paths separate, he will always be part of our family. Good luck Michael!"

Luigi Dall'Igna, Ducati Corse General Manager, said: “We are pleased to welcome Nicolo Bulega to the official Superbike team. Since last season, Nicolo has been able to give us immense delight. He is a very talented rider, and his experience, despite his young age, could be a determining factor in facing this fascinating and demanding challenge. During the test held with the Ducati Panigale V4 R machine, he has shown that he has the potential to compete with the best riders in WorldSBK, and sharing the garage with Alvaro Bautista will only help him grow. However, it will be important for him to stay focused on his WorldSSP season. The Aruba.it Racing team had the merit last year to think about Bulega and involve him in a completely new project that Ducati cares so much about. We hope he can wrap up his last season in Supersport in the best possible way.”

ITALIAN RIDERS WITH DUCATI: it’s been poetic, emotional and very successful

The 23-year-old from Montecchio Emilia has high hopes of joining famous Italian names who have gone on to succeed with the Borgo Panigale factory. Marco Lucchinelli, Giancarlo Falappa, Mauro Lucchiari, Pierfrancesco Chili, Lorenzo Lanzi, Michel Fabrizio, Marco Melandri and Michael Ruben Rinaldi have all won races for the Italian marque, with 90s legends Chili and Falappa tied at the most for Italian riders at 13 each. Chili, who finished fourth in the Championship in 1998 and 2000, sports 43 podiums for the brand, more than any other Italian rider. In terms of podiums, Davide Guigliano has 12 for Ducati, the manufacturer’s most successful without winning a race.

Of course, most of the riders mentioned above have been in factory teams and Independent teams, but there are also plenty of other Italians from Independent teams that have achieved a fair amount of success. On the current grid, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) is the second-highest Ducati in the standings, whilst Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) became a podium finisher at Donington Park this year. In 2008, Max Biaggi’s only season with Ducati gave seven podiums, whilst in 1994 and 1995, Fabrizio Pirovano took four rostrums. Ayrton Badovini, Baldassarri Monte and Davide Tardozzi are the other home-grown Ducati stars to take at least one podium.

WHAT NEXT FOR RINALDI? Staying in the Ducati family, or time for a new challenge?

Michael Ruben Rinaldi’s pace is unequivocal, whilst is consistency isn’t quite there. After three seasons in the factory red of Ducati, the #21 will move over, but does he have to move out of the Ducati family? Whilst unlikely, Motocorsa Racing haven’t announced plans for 2024; current rider Axel Bassani has out-performed Rinaldi in 2023 and is at the heart of the team’s decisions. There’s no love lost between the two Italians either, making any possible expansion to accommodate Rinaldi unlikely. The four-time WorldSBK race winner has ridden for Barni Ducati and Team GoEleven in the past, perhaps there’s an option at one of those? Denis Sacchetti stated that Rinaldi is a “big friend” of the team and that “every team” should be interested in him.

Outside of the Ducati possibilities, there are a few seats still available. There’s a newly-vacated factory Kawasaki seat that Rinaldi could put his name forward for, while Team HRC are yet to announce their line-up and BMW have already got their own situation with Michael van der Mark and Scott Redding angling to be teammate to Toprak for 2024, although no announcement has been made yet.

Will Bulega seal the WorldSSP title ahead of his WorldSBK debut? Find out using the WorldSBK VideoPass!