Bulega signs off WorldSBK with 52 wins to match idol Bayliss before MotoGP switch

News Summary

• Nicolò Bulega won all three races at Jerez, reaching 52 career WorldSBK victories and equalling Troy Bayliss.
• The Ducati rider won 32 of 36 races in 2026 and scored 726 points, setting new championship benchmarks.
• Bulega will join VR46 Ducati in MotoGP in 2027, partnering Fermín Aldeguer after three seasons in WorldSBK.

Nicolò Bulega ended his World Superbike career by equalling Troy Bayliss’ 52 victories, completing a clean sweep of the final round at Jerez on Sunday, October 18, before moving to MotoGP with Valentino Rossi’s VR46 Ducati team in 2027.

The Italian won Race 1, the Superpole Race and Race 2 at the Spanish circuit, completing his tenth hat-trick of the season and extending his extraordinary 2026 total to 32 victories in 36 races. His final triumph came ahead of Ducati teammate Iker Lecuona and Sam Lowes, despite rain arriving during the closing laps.

The result also completed a historic campaign in which Bulega accumulated 726 championship points and 92 career podium finishes from 108 WorldSBK races. His final victory placed him alongside Bayliss, one of the riders he admired during childhood, on the championship’s all-time winners list.

Speaking to the official WorldSBK website after the race, Bulega acknowledged the significance of the milestone.

“Today I matched Bayliss for wins; he was one of my idols,” he said.

Bulega completes perfect Jerez farewell despite late rain

Bulega entered the final weekend with the 2026 championship already secured, but several records remained within reach. He had 49 career victories before Jerez, meaning a sweep of all three races would take him level with Bayliss.

The Ducati rider won Saturday’s opening race and Sunday’s Superpole Race, leaving one final opportunity to reach the landmark in Race 2.

Lecuona made the better start and briefly led into the opening corner, but Bulega reclaimed first place during the opening lap and immediately began building an advantage.

Behind the factory Ducati pair, Álvaro Bautista moved into third and attempted to defend his position from Sam Lowes. The battle continued as Bulega extended his lead, but rain began falling during the final five laps and complicated the closing stages.

Bulega maintained control and crossed the finish line 4.696 seconds ahead of Lecuona, while Lowes overtook Bautista on the final lap to complete the podium.

The victory gave Bulega a perfect farewell weekend and extended his winning streak to 32 races during the season.

The result also marked the final WorldSBK race using Pirelli tyres before the championship changes supplier.

Bayliss record carries special meaning for Bulega

Matching Bayliss was particularly emotional because the Australian had been one of Bulega’s childhood heroes.

Bayliss won three WorldSBK championships with Ducati and became one of the manufacturer’s most successful riders, establishing a reputation for aggressive racing and exceptional performances on production-based machinery.

Bulega’s rise has followed a different path. After struggling to establish himself in Moto3 and Moto2, he moved to World Supersport in 2022, won the title in 2023 and graduated to WorldSBK the following season.

He finished runner-up in both 2024 and 2025 before dominating the 2026 championship.

The Italian had already established several records before the final round, including an unprecedented run of podium finishes and the highest number of victories in a single season.

As GRANDE PRÊMIO examined in its analysis of the records Bulega could still break, winning all six remaining races at Estoril and Jerez would take him to 52 career victories.

He achieved exactly that target, completing two consecutive perfect weekends and ending his WorldSBK career level with Bayliss.

The achievement was particularly significant given the relatively short duration of his WorldSBK career. Bulega reached 52 victories in only three seasons, compared with riders who spent considerably longer in the championship.

Bulega admits emotional goodbye to Ducati team

The final victory also marked the end of Bulega’s relationship with the Aruba.it Racing Ducati squad, which supported his development into a world champion.

The Italian admitted that the atmosphere in the garage became emotional after the chequered flag, with team members celebrating the conclusion of their successful partnership.

“Everybody was crying, and me too,” Bulega said.

He explained that winning his final race had been particularly important because he wanted to leave the team with another victory rather than simply complete the season.

The 2026 championship was Bulega’s first WorldSBK title after two consecutive runner-up finishes, making the final round a celebration of both his personal achievements and Ducati’s dominance.

The manufacturer won all 36 races during the season, with Bulega responsible for 32 of those victories.

His performances have also strengthened his reputation within Ducati’s wider racing organisation, where he has been involved in testing the new MotoGP motorcycle being developed for 2027.

Bulega prepares for MotoGP move with Valentino Rossi’s VR46

Bulega’s next challenge will be returning to the Grand Prix paddock as a full-time MotoGP rider.

VR46 confirmed his signing for 2027 in September, pairing him with Fermín Aldeguer as the championship introduces new 850cc motorcycles and Pirelli tyres.

The move reunites Bulega with an organisation that played an important role in his early career. He previously belonged to the VR46 Riders Academy and competed in Moto3 before moving to Moto2 and subsequently rebuilding his career in production-based racing.

Bulega has already gained experience with Ducati’s future MotoGP machinery through testing, while his familiarity with Pirelli tyres could provide an advantage during the transition.

However, the Italian has cautioned that his WorldSBK dominance will not automatically translate into MotoGP success. The championship features different motorcycles, technical demands and a field of riders with extensive experience of Grand Prix machinery.

The 2027 grid will also include former WorldSBK champion Toprak Razgatlioglu, who joined Yamaha’s MotoGP programme in 2026.

As GRANDE PRÊMIO detailed in its complete 2027 MotoGP grid guide, Bulega and Aldeguer will form one of the championship’s new rider pairings.

Bulega’s record-breaking 2026 WorldSBK season

The 2026 championship concluded at Jerez on October 18, with Bulega leaving WorldSBK as champion before beginning preparations for his full-time MotoGP debut.