(Reuters) -World Superbike runner-up Nicolo Bulega will replace injured MotoGP champion Marc Marquez in the final two rounds of the season in Portugal and Valencia, Ducati said on Friday.
Marquez has brought his season to an early close after suffering a collarbone injury at the Indonesian Grand Prix earlier this month, a week after winning his seventh premier class crown at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Ducati's test rider Michele Pirro had replaced Marquez at the Grands Prix in Australia and Malaysia, but Ducati decided Bulega, who tested their bike in Jerez, will make his premier class debut.
"I'm very happy to be able to end a season like this one with a last-minute surprise. Making the MotoGP debut is the dream of any kid who aspires to become a rider," Bulega said.
"Plus, being able to ride the World Champion bike for the final two races of the 2025 makes everything even more exciting."
Bulega was a contender for the World Superbike title with Aruba Racing but the 26-year-old lost out in the final round to Toprak Razgatlioglu, who claimed his third title ahead of his switch to MotoGP next season.
"Nicolo has been part of the Ducati Corse family since 2022, when we wanted him to ride the Supersport bike," Ducati general manager Luigi Dall'Igna said.
"We believed in him and he repaid us with two seasons as an absolute protagonist in Superbike, where he came close to the title and became our reference point as a rider."
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru;Editing by Christian Radnedge)
