Can Öncü
Can Alexander Öncü (born 26 July 2003) is a Turkish motorcycle racer. After spending the 2019 season in Moto3, for 2020 and 2021, he raced in the World Supersport with Turkish Racing Team, a new venture headed by Turkish former racer Kenan Sofuoğlu and supported by Pucetti Kawasaki and Orelac Racing.[2][3][4]
Can Öncü | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Nationality | Turkish | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Alanya,[1] Turkey | 26 July 2003||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Kawasaki Pucetti Racing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bike number | 61 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Website | Öncü Twins | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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After a change in regulations during 2018,[5] he became the youngest Grand Prix motorcycle racing winner when he won the 2018 Valencian Community motorcycle Grand Prix aged 15 years, 115 days,[6][7] and the first Turkish winner of a GP motorcycle road race.[8]
In late 2018, he was included into the provisional entry list for the 2019 Moto3 season with the Red Bull KTM Ajo team, despite being younger than the usual minimum age requirement of 16.[9][5]
His twin brother, Deniz Öncü, is also a motorcycle racer. Both brothers are mentored by Turkish multi-world champion motorcycle racer, Kenan Sofuoğlu.[10]
Career
Early career
Can and his twin brother, Deniz, competed in the Asia Talent Cup[11] in 2016 (Can 9th, Deniz 10th)[12] and 2017 (Can 3rd, Deniz 1st).[13] Both entered the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup in 2017 (Can 3rd, Deniz 4th)[14] and Can became the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup champion in 2018, while Deniz finished in second place.[15]
For 2018, as well as competing in the Rookies Cup, both Can and Deniz joined Ajo Motorsport[16] and also raced in the FIM CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship. Later that year, Can became the first rider to win on his Grand Prix debut since Noboru Ueda in 1991. He also broke the record, held for ten years by previous youngest Grand Prix race winner Scott Redding, at age 15 years, 115 days at the Valencian GP, when he was entered as a wildcard rider. Öncü benefited from a 2018 change to the FIM regulations,[17] that added the current Red Bull Rookies Cup Champion to an exemption already given to the FIM Junior World Championship winner allowing them to compete in Moto3, a series normally requiring an adult licence, at a minimum age of 15 years rather than the usual 16 years.[5][18][19][20]
Moto3 World Championship
For 2019, Öncü made his full-season debut with Red Bull KTM Ajo. Despite his early promise shown as Red Bull Rookies champion and winning on his debut wildcard entry, Öncü struggled in the class, scoring only three points finishes from 16 contested races and finishing with 8 points in 31st position of the riders' championship. Öncü was dropped from the Ajo team at the end of the season.
Supersport World Championship
For 2020, Öncü joined the Turkish Racing Team with Kawasaki in the Supersport World Championship.[21] He achieved regular points finishes to complete the season in 12th place of the championship. He continued with the team for 2021, finishing regularly in the top 10 and taking his first podium at the French round.
Career statistics
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Year | Bike | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Pos | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | Honda | THA1 9 |
THA2 13 |
QAT1 13 |
QAT2 Ret |
MAL1 10 |
MAL2 Ret |
CHN1 7 |
CHN2 9 |
JPN1 8 |
JPN2 5 |
SEP1 15 |
SEP2 2 |
9th | 75 |
2017 | Honda | THA1 7 |
THA2 4 |
QAT1 NC |
QAT2 4 |
SUZ1 5 |
SUZ2 15 |
MAL1 1 |
MAL2 1 |
JPN1 NC |
JPN2 NC |
SEP1 1 |
SEP2 1 |
3rd | 147 |
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Year | Bike | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Pos | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | KTM | EST 15 |
VAL1 10 |
VAL2 17 |
LMS 28 |
CAT1 10 |
CAT2 12 |
ARA 3 |
JER1 6 |
JER2 10 |
ALB 2 |
VAL1 6 |
VAL2 3 |
7th | 95 |
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Year | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Pos | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2017 | JER1 18 |
JER2 3 |
ASS1 1 |
ASS2 1 |
SAC1 3 |
SAC2 1 |
BRN1 1 |
BRN2 Ret |
RBR1 14 |
RBR2 2 |
MIS Ret |
ARA1 5 |
ARA2 Ret |
3rd | 165 |
2018 | JER1 1 |
JER2 2 |
MUG 2 |
ASS1 1 |
ASS2 1 |
SAC1 2 |
SAC2 1 |
RBR1 3 |
RBR2 2 |
MIS 1 |
ARA1 10 |
ARA2 8 |
1st | 235 |
By season
Season | Class | Motorcycle | Team | Race | Win | Podium | Pole | FLap | Pts | Plcd |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | Moto3 | KTM | Red Bull KTM Ajo | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 24th |
2019 | Moto3 | KTM | Red Bull KTM Ajo | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 31st |
Total | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 33 |
By class
Class | Seasons | 1st GP | 1st Pod | 1st Win | Race | Win | Podiums | Pole | FLap | Pts | WChmp |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Moto3 | 2018–2019 | 2018 Valencia | 2018 Valencia | 2018 Valencia | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 33 | 0 |
Total | 2018–2019 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 33 | 0 |
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Year | Class | Bike | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Pos | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | Moto3 | KTM | QAT | ARG | AME | SPA | FRA | ITA | CAT | NED | GER | CZE | AUT | GBR | RSM | ARA | THA | JPN | AUS | MAL | VAL 1 |
24th | 25 |
2019 | Moto3 | KTM | QAT 18 |
ARG 26 |
AME Ret |
SPA 18 |
FRA 16 |
ITA 18 |
CAT Ret |
NED 16 |
GER 14 |
CZE 14 |
AUT Ret |
GBR 24 |
RSM WD |
ARA | THA | JPN 18 |
AUS 16 |
MAL 20 |
VAL 12 |
31st | 8 |
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Year | Bike | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | Pos | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | Kawasaki | AUS 9 |
SPA 9 |
SPA 12 |
POR Ret |
POR 10 |
SPA 13 |
SPA 13 |
SPA Ret |
SPA Ret |
SPA 12 |
SPA Ret |
FRA 6 |
FRA 7 |
POR 6 |
POR 14 |
12th | 65 | |||||||||
2021 | Kawasaki | ARA 10 |
ARA 14 |
POR Ret |
POR 7 |
ITA 8 |
ITA Ret |
NED 7 |
NED 7 |
CZE 8 |
CZE 9 |
SPA 8 |
SPA Ret |
FRA 8 |
FRA 3 |
SPA 4 |
SPA Ret |
SPA C |
SPA 6 |
POR 8 |
POR 10 |
ARG 3 |
ARG 2 |
INA 7 |
INA 6 |
6th | 182 |
2022 | Kawasaki | SPA 3 |
SPA Ret |
NED Ret |
NED 3 |
POR 4 |
POR 5 |
ITA 4 |
ITA 5 |
GBR 5 |
GBR 8 |
CZE 21 |
CZE 4 |
FRA 4 |
FRA 6 |
SPA 3 |
SPA 2 |
POR 9 |
POR 3 |
ARG 4 |
ARG 7 |
INA 3 |
INA 3 |
AUS 3 |
AUS Ret |
3rd | 264 |
2023 | Kawasaki | AUS Ret |
AUS 3 |
INA 1 |
INA 4 |
NED 7 |
NED Ret |
SPA |
SPA |
ITA |
ITA |
GBR |
GBR |
ITA |
ITA |
CZE |
CZE |
FRA |
FRA |
SPA |
SPA |
POR |
POR |
SPA |
SPA |
10th* | 63* |
* Season still in progress.
References
- "Can Öncü'den Tarihi Başarı" (in Turkish). Türkiye Motorsiklet Federasyonu. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
- At just 16 years old, Can Öncü will move across to the WorldSBK paddock and look to fly the Turkish flag high in World Supersport once again worldsbk.com 18 November 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019
- How did Can Öncü’s first test on the WorldSSP bike go? www.worldsbk.com, 4 December 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2020
- Kawasaki Puccetti Racing unveil new colours ahead of 2020 season www.worldsbk.com, 19 January 2020. Retrieved 24 February 2020
- Red Bull Rookies Champion eligible for Moto3™ ride in 2018 MotoGP.com News Retrieved 16 December 2018
- Sports, Dorna. "MotoGP™". secure.motogp.com. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
- "Ajo Motorsport". ajo.fi. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
- Turkish teen becomes youngest ever MotoGP Grand Prix winner Daily Sabah, 18 November 2018. Retrieved 23 December 2018
- "2019 provisional entry lists revealed". motogp.com. 16 November 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
- Twin brothers pushing limits of motor sports Daily Sabah, 17 December 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2018
- "IDEMITSU - ASIA TALENT CUP". IDEMITSU - ASIA TALENT CUP. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
- "IDEMITSU - ASIA TALENT CUP". IDEMITSU - ASIA TALENT CUP. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
- "IDEMITSU - ASIA TALENT CUP". IDEMITSU - ASIA TALENT CUP. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
- Cup, Red Bull MotoGP Rookies. "Results | Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup". Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
- Cup, Red Bull MotoGP Rookies. "Results | Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup". Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
- "New Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 project for 2018 – Ajo Motorsport". ajo.fi. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
- "FIM World Championship Grand Prix Regulations update 2nd October 2018 - pdf".
- "Can Öncü başarısını tekrarlamayı hedefliyor". NTV (in Turkish). 18 November 2018. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
- "Turkish teenager makes history as youngest Moto3 winner at 15". The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 November 2018. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
- Can Öncü stuns the field to create Grand Prix history MotoGP.com Retrieved 19 November 2018
- "Can Öncü joins WorldSSP grid with all-new Turkish Racing Team". Superbike World Championship. Dorna WSBK. 18 November 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2021.