Nicolò Bulega

Nicolò Bulega
Bulega (centre) at the 2016 Qatar Grand Prix
Nationality Italy Italian
Born (1999-10-16) 16 October 1999
Montecchio Emilia, Italy
Current team Sky Racing Team VR46
Bike number 8
Website nicolobulega.com
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Moto3 World Championship
Active years20152018
ManufacturersKTM
2017 championship position12th (81 pts)
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
50 0 2 2 2 232

Nicolò Jarod Bulega (born 16 October 1999) is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer. Bulega has also been a competitor in the CEV Moto3 Championship in 2014 and 2015, becoming Moto3 Junior World Champion in 2015. Prior to competing in the CEV, Bulega won the Italian and European MiniGP 50 championships, and was Italian champion in the PreGP 125 and PreGP 250 classes.

He is the son of the Grand Prix motorcycle racer Davide Bulega.[1]

Career

The early years

Born in Montecchio Emilia, Bulega started his career aged 8 in the Italian Minimoto Championship. In 2010 he made his debut in MiniGP 50, in both the Italian and European championships, winning both in 2011. In 2012 he won the Italian Championship 125 PreGP and the following year he won the Italian Championship Pre GP 250. As a result, he moved into the CEV Moto3 Championship for the 2014 season, he finished 6th overall in his rookie season with two podium finishes.[2]

He also won the 2015 FIM CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship.

2015

In 2015, Bulega made his Grand Prix début with Sky Racing Team VR46 riding a KTM in the Valencian Grand Prix. Bulega finished the race at twelfth place. He was ranked 31st for the 2015 Moto3 World Championship with 4 points to his name.

2016

In 2016, Bulega started competing full-time in the Moto3 World Championship with Sky Racing Team by VR46. Bulega started the 2016 season with sixth place at Qatar. At his fifth race in Moto3, Bulega achieved his first Grand Prix podium at Jerez with 2nd-place finish having started from pole position, which was his first pole position in Grand Prix. Bulega's first fastest lap came at the British Grand Prix in the last lap. Followed by a crash in Aragon, On his birthday Bulega finished the Japanese grand Prix at fourth place and set the fastest lap. But after the third place holder Hiroki Ono was disqualified Bulega was awarded third place. Both in Australia and Malaysia Bulega crashed in the opening lap. His last three crashes in Aragon,Australia and Malaysia was because of the fellow riders. Despite qualifying 4th Bulega started the final race at Valencia in 16th place due to 12 grid penalty and finished the race at 17th losing the Rookie of the year title to Joan Mir. Bulega finished the championship at 7th place with 129 points.

2017

In a year where formed Rookie of the Year rival Joan Mir won the Moto3 championship, Bulega struggled to follow up his debut season, his difficulties being bad qualifying strategies and bad starts (mainly due to his height). His best result in the year is a 4th place on Germany, one of the few times he was able to qualify on the top 6, and some 5th places, including one in his "home" race in the San Marino and Riviera di Rimini race (and in Argentina). He finished the disappointing year only in 12th place, with 81 points.

2018

Bulega's first five 2018 races were even worse than last year's. He retired in the first four races and finished only on the fifth race, with a 17th place in Spain, being one of the two regular drivers to never score points in the first five races of the year.

Career statistics

Grand Prix motorcycle racing

By season

Season Class Motorcycle Team Race Win Podium Pole FLap Pts Plcd
2015 Moto3 KTM SKY Racing Team VR46 1 0 0 0 0 4 31st
2016 Moto3 KTM SKY Racing Team VR46 18 0 2 1 2 129 7th
2017 Moto3 KTM SKY Racing Team VR46 17 0 0 1 0 81 12th
2018 Moto3 KTM SKY Racing Team VR46 14 0 0 0 0 18* 24th*
Total 50 0 2 2 2 232

* Season still in progress.

Races by year

Year Class Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Pos. Pts
2015 Moto3 KTM QAT AME ARG SPA FRA ITA CAT NED GER IND CZE GBR RSM ARA JPN AUS MAL VAL
12
31st 4
2016 Moto3 KTM QAT
6
ARG
18
AME
10
SPA
2
FRA
5
ITA
8
CAT
5
NED
7
GER
Ret
AUT
9
CZE
9
GBR
5
RSM
4
ARA
Ret
JPN
3
AUS
Ret
MAL
Ret
VAL
17
7th 129
2017 Moto3 KTM QAT
14
ARG
16
AME
5
SPA
7
FRA
17
ITA
10
CAT
9
NED
10
GER
4
CZE
23
AUT
11
GBR
20
RSM
5
ARA
14
JPN
12
AUS
11
MAL
Ret
VAL
DNS
12th 81
2018 Moto3 KTM QAT
Ret
ARG
Ret
AME
Ret
SPA
17
FRA
Ret
ITA
21
CAT
Ret
NED
11
GER
14
CZE
19
AUT
23
GBR
C
RSM
Ret
ARA
14
THA
7
JPN
AUS
MAL
VAL
24th* 18*

 * Season still in progress.

References

  1. "Moto3: Bulega in Moto3 2016". Motoblog.it. Moto Blog Italia. 23 September 2015.
  2. "La penúltima, en Jerez". Diariojerez.es. Diario Jerez Espana. 28 October 2015.
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