Andrea Locatelli said in an interview on August 21, 2026, that Nicolò Bulega would not be as successful riding the Yamaha R1 as he is on the Ducati in World Superbike competition. Locatelli explained that Bulega’s current success is strongly linked to the Ducati package and expressed his personal opinion that the Italian rider would struggle to achieve similar results on the Yamaha.
Locatelli made his remarks during an interview on August 21, 2026, stating that Bulega’s current success in the World Superbike Championship is closely tied to the Ducati package he rides. He emphasized that Bulega’s wins and title challenge in 2025 were dependent on a “good technical package and a good team,” conditions he views as stronger at Ducati than at Yamaha.
“I don’t think he’d put the R1 up front or win like he does now on the Ducati,” Locatelli said, adding, “that’s my opinion” when explaining why he believes Bulega would struggle to replicate his results on the Yamaha R1.
Locatelli highlighted Bulega as one of the strongest riders in WorldSBK, comparing him directly to Toprak Razgatlioglu and noting Bulega’s 2024 Supersport World Championship title. He recalled how Bulega fought for the 2025 WorldSBK title against Razgatlioglu “right up until Jerez 2025,” underscoring the Italian rider’s competitiveness on the Ducati. However, Locatelli argued that without the Ducati package, Bulega’s current “renaissance” and front-running status would look very different. He suggested that if Bulega were riding the Yamaha R1 and not winning or consistently running at the front, “then he wouldn’t be so attractive to the premier class,” referring to MotoGP teams.
Locatelli’s assessment of the Yamaha R1’s competitiveness in 2026 was candid. He described the R1 as a “great, but old” Superbike, noting that its engine concept and character evoke an earlier era of Superbike racing, with the bike moving and squirms under braking and acceleration. He acknowledged publicly that Yamaha is “in difficulty” and that the gap to the front is very large, despite his efforts to maximize results with the R1. Locatelli has previously stated that even a third-place finish on the Yamaha can feel like a win “with the Ducati,” reinforcing his view of the performance difference between the two manufacturers’ packages.
Locatelli’s comments also addressed the impact of machinery on rider career trajectories. He explicitly linked Bulega’s success on Ducati to the Italian’s appeal for a MotoGP opportunity, suggesting that without Ducati-level dominance, the door to MotoGP “perhaps wouldn’t have opened up” for him. Media coverage of Valentino Rossi’s expected MotoGP signing of Bulega has cited Locatelli’s remarks, which question whether Bulega’s performance would be as strong on a different bike, particularly the Yamaha R1.
The Italian rider’s own experience informs his views. According to official WorldSBK statistics, Locatelli secured his first WorldSBK race win in 2025 at Assen, benefiting from Bulega’s misfortune during that event. Locatelli has highlighted that in 2025 he was the “only one” able to insert himself between Razgatlioglu and Bulega in the final standings or race results. His six seasons as a factory Yamaha rider by 2026 give him sustained experience with the R1’s strengths and limitations under current regulations. This experience forms the practical basis for his statement that even the “current most successful rider” would not shine in the same way on the R1.
Multiple WorldSBK-focused outlets have headlined Locatelli’s view as “Bulega wouldn’t be so successful on the R1,” presenting it as a central quote from his 2026 interviews. The original German-language interview reported him saying, “Ich glaube nicht, dass er mit der R1 so vorn mitfahren oder so gewinnen würde wie jetzt mit der Ducati… Das ist meine Meinung,” directly mirroring the English-language quotes. English-language coverage reproduces his explanation that Bulega’s success on Ducati is what makes him “attractive to the premier class,” whereas an R1 scenario would likely reduce that attractiveness.
Locatelli’s commentary contributes to broader discussions about how rider success in WorldSBK is heavily contingent on the bike’s development cycle. He points to the Yamaha R1’s technical limitations and aging design as factors that would hinder even a top rider like Bulega from achieving Ducati-level results. This perspective contrasts with the narrative that rider talent alone drives success, emphasizing the importance of the machinery and team environment.
Bulega’s strong 2025 WorldSBK campaign on the Ducati, which included a title fight against Razgatlioglu, has fueled speculation about his move to MotoGP, potentially linked to the VR46 and Valentino Rossi. Locatelli’s remarks underscore the technical context behind Bulega’s rise, suggesting that a switch to Yamaha’s current R1 would likely diminish his front-running status and, by extension, his attractiveness to premier-class teams.
