Turkish Moto2 rider Deniz Öncü is gearing up to reach the podium’s top spot this season, training with his revamped motorcycle under the guidance of Türkiye Motorcycle Federation National Teams Captain Kenan Sofuoğlu.
The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider finished 20th in last year’s Moto2 World Championship but is setting higher goals for this year. Preparing for the season in Sakarya’s Akyazı district, Öncü has started training on his new bike at the Kenan Sofuoğlu Circuit.
“This year, I’ll represent my country in the best possible way,” Öncü told Anadolu Agency (AA).
Öncü, who recently trained in Alanya with fellow national riders Can Öncü and Toprak Razgatlıoğlu, shared details of their fitness routine, which included running, cycling and strength exercises. Now in Sakarya, Deniz is focusing on honing his skills with his updated bike.
“We’re just a month away from the start of tests. Here, I’m working as hard as I can with Kenan to prepare myself in the best way possible,” Öncü said.
Öncü tested his updated motorcycle at the end of last year and was pleased with the changes. “The new parts are exactly what I wanted. With more tests, I hope to fine-tune the bike and compete throughout the season at my best,” he explained.
He credited his mentor, Sofuoğlu, for his progress: “Kenan has been through all of this countless times. His experience is far beyond ours, and it’s thanks to him that I’ve reached this point. I hope we can achieve our goals this season.”
Öncü emphasized his ultimate aim of standing on the podium consistently and, ideally, clinching the world championship. “Hopefully, this will be the year I become world champion. If not, I’ll focus on each race individually. It’s a long season with 22 races, and if I give my all in every race, I’ll achieve my best by the end of the season,” he said.
Reflecting on his rookie season, Öncü highlighted his lone podium finish as a proud moment and is determined to build on that. “Last year, I had just one podium. It was great to achieve that as a rookie. This year, I hope to stay there consistently. The season starts in Thailand, and I’m optimistic it will go well.”
