Exclusive interview with Nicolò Bulega, rider of the VR46 Academy

The CEV that just ended was your first championship outside of Italy. Tell us your experience.

“It was a good experience, I learned a lot thanks to the championship level.. you either learn quickly or they pass you by.”

You raced with Team Calvo, known to most for its presence in the world championship. How did you find it?

“At the beginning they thought that I was a very young person to be given a bike to just because I was a VR46 Academy rider... I had teammates who were much more experienced than me who on paper all had to aim for victory... Ramirez, Wayne Rayan , Remy Gardner.. but right from the start I wanted to carve out my space and little by little with the results I think I deserved the team's attention.. however I had a great time, they are very professional and good!”

Which drivers impressed you the most?

“Well, bike aside, it's too easy to say Quartararo... he never did anything wrong, he had a perfect championship. He was the strongest! But there were at least 10 riders who could have fought for the podium in every race... it was a really difficult championship in this sense."

Choose the worst and best race of this season.

“The most disappointing race for me was at Le Mans.. Vale, Uccio, Albi and the whole VR46 were there to see my race.. and I went slowly.. it was a disappointment.. The best in the CEV my first podium in Navarra!! It was nice! But the real satisfaction of 2014 was the revenge I took in Misano at the CIV in front of Vale and the whole VR46... it was a good moment there.”

What are your plans for 2015? Will you participate in the FIM JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP? If so with which team?

“I don't know anything, really..”

This year you used #46, will you continue to race with this number?

“To tell you the truth, I would like to race with my 11! I hope he's free for 2015.. otherwise I'll see.. the 46 is beautiful, and it was an honor for me to take it to the race this year, but I was disappointed by the too many criticisms.. so I have to think about it..”

We talk about big plans for your future….

"I'm glad to hear it! can you tell me? No, joking aside, I know that they are working on VR46 and will soon tell us everything."

What do you expect from next season?

“The important thing is to start where I left off...many of the strong ones will go to the world championship but I know that other strong riders are on the way and there will be no shortage of surprises. We must all row in the same direction and the results will come.”

More Italian pilots will arrive, what do you think?

"It will be interesting"

How are you preparing for next season?

“As always, in the gym and at the ranch. Physically I feel very good.”

Speaking of the Ranch, you ran the 100 KM and won, beating Valentino, how does it feel?

“It's the third year that this type of race has been held at the ranch.. last year for example.. the pairs were unbalanced.. this year it went well for me to have a fast partner like Balda (Lorenzo Baldassarri) and we were competitive with Vale-Luca and Pasini-Petrucci... but they were definitely the favourites! You know, in that type of race you end up paying for two or three mistakes... let's say that Balda and I only made one and it went well. I'm happy because winning the endurance race is what counts between us at the ranch.”

Will you race the Moto2016 world championship in 3?

“I hope so... in fact I hope to make my debut perhaps in the last three races of the world championship in 2015... who knows?! If I deserve it.”

Who are the riders you support in the three classes of the world championship? In order Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP?

“In Moto3 I support my colleagues from the Academy.. Migno, Antonelli, Bagnaia and Fenati.. it would be nice to see three of them on the podium.. In Moto2 Morbidelli.. in 2015 it is his second year and in my opinion he can do very well! In MotoGP it's a given... I'm cheering Vale!”

Do you have an official fan club, how many members were there in the first year (2014)?

“Yes, the fan club was born in April 2014 and has around 130 members... for next year we would like to increase memberships to be able to help some charitable non-profit organisations. The statute of our fun club does not allow profits.”