Bulega Scores First MotoGP Point with Ducati Lenovo Team at Portimão

WSBK star Bulega finishes fifteenth in debut race as Bagnaia crashes out while running fourth at the Portuguese Grand Prix

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The Ducati Lenovo Team competed in the twenty-first and penultimate round of the MotoGP season at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão. Nicolò Bulega made his premier-class debut and finished fifteenth, earning his first MotoGP point. His teammate Francesco Bagnaia, however, crashed out midway through the race while holding fourth place.

Starting from eighteenth on the grid, Bulega showed impressive progress throughout the race. In the second half, he found a strong rhythm with the Desmosedici GP and kept improving his lap times. His pace was competitive enough for the top ten, and he held on to secure a solid fifteenth place at the finish line. It was a positive result for the young Italian, marking a confident start to his MotoGP journey.

Bagnaia, on the other hand, experienced a challenging afternoon. After losing one spot at the start, he quickly recovered to fourth by the end of the first lap. For several laps, the Italian maintained a steady rhythm and built a comfortable gap from the riders behind him. Unfortunately, on lap eleven, he lost the front at turn ten and crashed out. The fall ended his race early, but he remained optimistic about the team’s performance improvements compared to the previous day.

As the Portuguese Grand Prix comes to an end, Marc Márquez has already been crowned World Champion. Bagnaia now sits fourth in the standings, thirty-five points behind third place. Ducati continues to dominate, with the Ducati Lenovo Team securing the Teams’ title and the brand also clinching the Constructors’ title.

The team will now prepare for the season finale at Valencia’s Circuit Ricardo Tormo, taking place from November 14th. Both riders aim to finish the year with strong performances and valuable experience to carry into the next season.

Nicolò Bulega (#11 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 15th
“Today was definitely better. Yesterday, in the Sprint, I made a rookie mistake and only completed a few laps. The main goal today was to finish the race and gain as much experience as possible while learning about the bike and how different it is from the Panigale. In the last few laps, my pace was quite good, and I managed to close the gap to the riders ahead. I made a small mistake that cost me a few seconds, but I was able to recover. The most important thing was finishing the race and taking this experience to Valencia.”

Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – DNF
“After yesterday’s grip problems, I tried to stay close to the frontrunners. I pushed as hard as I could, but they were a bit quicker. My gap to the riders behind was growing, but then I made an error. I entered turn ten slightly faster than usual, and when I tried to slow down, the front tucked, and I crashed. It’s unfortunate, but these things happen when you’re pushing to the limit. The positive side is that we improved compared to yesterday, and now we’ll focus on finishing the season well in Valencia.”reasing my margin over the riders behind, but then I crashed. I entered turn ten a bit faster than usual and, while trying to decelerate, the front tucked. I was pushing hard, and these things can happen. The positive note is that we made progress compared to yesterday, so we’ll focus on finishing the season strong in Valencia.”