Ducati Lenovo is preparing for the final round of a glorious season in which it triumphed among riders, teams, and manufacturers. On the Ricardo Tormo track in Valencia, the Rossa left its mark on five occasions: first, in 2006 with Troy Bayliss, then in 2008 with Casey Stoner, in 2018 with Andrea Dovizioso, and again in 2021 and 2023 with Pecco Bagnaia.
Like in Portimão, SBK Vice-Champion Nicolò Bulega will also be joining the rider from Chivasso in Spain, after replacing an injured Marc Marquez in the Portughese round a few days ago and called to make an extra effort at the end of his championship. Let's remember that the 26-year-old hasn't had much time to get used to the MotoGP. Taking to the track in Jerez for a brief test, in which he managed to complete just 30 laps due to adverse weather, he ended up having to learn everything in just the three race days. Not far off from the times of his pit neighbor, he fell during the Sprint Race thanks to lack of experience with the bike, as well as the Michelin tires, while he crossed the finish line in 15th place in the GP.
"I'm happy to get right back on the track. I had a few days to better understand and analyze what I did over the weekend in Portugal. I'm sure that I'll be able to here. I won't say to definitely do better, but to feel more comfortable on the bike and fine tune some automatisms. I'll try to cover as many kilometers as possible and gain more and more confidence in riding," Bulega - who's usually busy with the the Superbike - commented.
"A complicated year is ending. I worked a lot, I really struggled in some races, less in others, but I wasn't able to be solid in the results. I'll continue to work with the goal of becoming competitive and consistent in performance again. I'll also, in this sense,take advantage of this last weekend and then the test on Tuesday," Fourth-placed Bagnaia said, happy to be close to the end of a troubled World Championship in which he collected less than he would've liked.