Turkish rider Deniz Öncü will return to action this weekend as the 2026 Moto2 World Championship heads to Italy for the San Marino and Rimini Riviera Grand Prix, the 14th round of the season.
Öncü, riding for ELF Marc VDS Racing Team, will take on the 4.226-kilometer Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli on the Adriatic coast near Rimini as he looks to build momentum during his first season with the Belgian team.
The 23-year-old Alanya native is competing on a Boscoscuro chassis alongside Spanish teammate Aron Canet after joining Marc VDS for the 2026 season.
The move followed two seasons with Red Bull KTM Ajo, during which Öncü claimed his first Moto2 victories in 2025 at the Aragon and German Grands Prix.
Öncü finished 12th in the 2025 championship with 100 points but has endured a more difficult campaign this season while adapting to new machinery.
After 13 rounds, he sits 17th in the standings with 31.5 points.
His strongest result so far came at the season-opening Thai Grand Prix, where he finished ninth and scored half points. He has also produced several encouraging performances later in the season, including an eighth-place finish at Aragon.
The Misano weekend will give Öncü another opportunity to improve his understanding of the Boscoscuro package and challenge for a stronger result as the championship enters its final stages in Europe.
The 16-turn Misano circuit, which features 10 right-hand and six left-hand corners, is known for its technical layout and combination of medium- and high-speed sections.
The track was renamed in honor of Italian rider Marco Simoncelli following his death in 2011 and has regularly hosted the San Marino Grand Prix since 2007.
The Moto2 weekend begins Friday with the first free practice session at 10:50 a.m. Türkiye time, followed by the main practice session at 3:05 p.m.
Saturday's program starts with second free practice at 10:25 a.m., before qualifying begins at 2:40 p.m. The session will determine the starting grid for Sunday's race.
The main Moto2 race is scheduled to start Sunday at 1:15 p.m. Türkiye time.
