Can Oncu claims a second row start for the first Supersport race in Cremona

Can Öncü qualified sixth on Friday afternoon for the first World Supersport race at the Cremona Circuit. The Turkish rider will therefore start the opening race of the weekend from the second row, giving him a strong starting position. Teammate Yuki Okamoto qualified 25^th in the Superpole session at the Italian circuit.

Under sunny and warm conditions, the tenth round of the FIM Supersport World Championship got underway on Friday at the Cremona Circuit in Italy. Following free practice in the morning, the pace had to be increased immediately in the afternoon during the Superpole session, which determined the starting grid for Race 1. With a lap time of 1’32.084, Can Öncü qualified sixth and will start from the second row as he targets a podium finish and aims to claim his second victory of the season.

Yuki Okamoto set the 25^th-fastest time in the Superpole session but will have to start from the back of the grid due to exceeding the engine allocation. It will therefore be a major challenge for the Japanese rider to score World Championship points again.

Can Öncü (P6 – 1’31,624 | +0,365):
“We’ve completed the first day here in Cremona and I’m quite happy with the result, I think we did a good job. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow, because the feeling was quite good and the sixth position on the grid is a good place to be. We didn’t test here before but still managed a good lap time, and I’m very happy with the bike the team has given to me. I want to thank them for their work and I look forward to go racing.”

Yuki Okamoto (P25 – 1’32,670 | +1,411):
“The first day is always challenging as I need some time to get used to the track again, and find my limits. Today was even more difficult than usual, and even though I managed to set a faster lap time than last year, the position is not where we want to be. I also have a tough penalty to deal with tomorrow, so it will be a challenging race. Anyway, I will give it everything I have so let’s see what we can do tomorrow.”

Kervin Bos – Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing team manager:
“We had sunny conditions here in Cremona today, and it’s always nice to be here. It’s a relatively small circuit and there are a lot of spectators, so there is a great atmosphere. We are also able to welcome many partners this weekend, especially a lot of technical sponsors who are based in Italy. Can and Yuki both had a good day and they are both ready to race. Can’s pace is excellent, although unfortunately his ultimate lap wasn’t perfect. Everything is very close, so we can certainly be happy with the second row. Yuki qualified 25^th but unfortunately has to start from the back due to a penalty, so it will be a tough challenge for him to achieve a good result. We are looking forward to racing tomorrow.”

No points for Ten Kate on Saturday at Cremona

Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing failed to score any points in Saturday afternoon’s first World Supersport race at the Cremona Circuit. Yuki Okamoto crossed the finish line in twentieth after having to serve a heavy penalty, while Can Öncü finished 27^th following a crash in the early stages of the race.

Under sunny and warm conditions, the first World Supersport race of the weekend got underway at 14:00 on Saturday afternoon at the Cremona Circuit. However, the red flags were brought out on the third lap following an incident, resulting in a restart over thirteen laps.

Can Öncü made a good start from sixth on the grid and quickly moved up to third position. Unfortunately, the Turkish rider crashed on the fifth lap and dropped back to last place. Öncü was able to continue and finish the race, but a better result was no longer possible. Based on his fastest lap time in Race 1, Öncü will start Sunday’s Race 2 from seventh on the grid.

Yuki Okamoto had to serve a grid penalty and two Long Lap penalties during the race, presenting him with a major challenge. Nevertheless, the Japanese rider showed impressive pace and fought his way forward, eventually crossing the finish line in twentieth. Unfortunately, Okamoto will have to serve the same penalties again in Race 2 on Sunday.

Yuki Okamoto (P20 | +24,997):
“We knew that it was going to be a difficult race with the heavy penalties had, but I still gave it everything I had until the end. I started from the last position but managed to finish in 20^th place, as I was able to make up a lot of positions throughout the race. I will have to serve the same penalties again tomorrow, but once again I will give everything I have and try to make the most of it.”

Can Öncü (P27 | +1 lap):
“Today I started very well, but unfortunately I had a small crash. This is part of racing and we will try to improve ourselves for tomorrow. We’ll try to make another step and then hopefully fight for the top positions. Thanks to the team for all their hard work.”

Kervin Bos – Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing team manager:
“It was a very difficult day for us today. Can made two good starts, but unfortunately he just missed out on finding the right pace for the race. It resulted in an innocent crash, and that can happen in racing, so we will make sure we go through everything tonight and that he has a good package again for Race 2 tomorrow. The speed, the mentality and the talent are there to fight and challenge for the podium tomorrow.

Yuki rode a very strong race because he had a grid penalty and two Long Lap penalties to serve. The fact that he still finished inside the top twenty shows that he rode a very good race. Unfortunately, he will have to serve these penalties again in Race 2, so the goal for him is to repeat today’s performance.

It was a day when things didn’t quite go our way, but as always, we will pick ourselves up, improve ourselves and come back stronger tomorrow.”

Oncu finishes eleventh in Race Two, Okamoto crosses the line in 23rd

Can Öncü finished eleventh in Sunday afternoon’s second World Supersport race at the Cremona Circuit. The Turkish rider spent much of the race inside the top six but lost several positions after making a mistake in the closing stages. His teammate Yuki Okamoto crossed the finish line in 23^rd.

Once again under sunny and warm conditions, the second World Supersport race of the weekend got underway at 14:00 on Sunday afternoon at the Cremona Circuit in Italy. After making a good start, Can Öncü moved up to sixth position and managed to hold onto it for a long time. However, with four laps remaining, the Turkish rider made a small mistake and lost a significant amount of ground. Öncü was able to recover a few positions in the closing stages but ultimately had to settle for eleventh place. He scored five points as a result and with 221 points in total, Öncü now sits fourth in the championship standings.

Just as in Race 1, Yuki Okamoto had to start from the back of the grid and serve two Long Lap penalties. This meant the Japanese rider had to come through from the rear, but once again he gradually worked his way forward as the race progressed. Okamoto eventually crossed the finish line in 23^rd, meaning he was unable to add any World Championship points to his tally.

Can Öncü (P11 | +15,377):
“It was a difficult weekend for us, with some bad luck and a crash that caused bad results. Sometimes it happens in racing and there’s not a lot you can do about it. We have to come out stronger from this situation and focus on the next round. The team did a great job and gave me a very good bike, but I wasn’t riding in the best way this weekend. This is one of my most difficult circuits and I didn’t really get in the groove. I am very much looking forward to the next round in Estoril, and a big thanks to the team for their efforts. Let’s make sure we perform better next time.”

Yuki Okamoto (P23 | +36,735):
“Today I had a very good feeling in the warm up session, but it was different in Race 2. It was good to complete the penalties and still pass some riders. In general it was a difficult race weekend with the penalties we had to deal with, but I really appreciate the hard work from everyone in the team. I believe that the next round in Estoril will be better for us.”

Kervin Bos – Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing team manager:
“We have mixed feelings about this race weekend in Cremona. Yuki has had a very strong weekend, but because of the penalties he had to serve in both races, it was always going to be a very difficult task. Without those penalties, he would have finished well inside the points on both occasions, so he has shown that he is continuing to build strongly on the progress he made in the previous races. For the upcoming rounds in Estoril and Jerez, the goal is therefore to score points again.

“With Can, we ultimately had a disappointing weekend. We started very strongly on Friday, but unfortunately we weren’t able to turn that into good results in either race. We need to go back to the drawing board and investigate where things went wrong during the weekend. Fortunately, Estoril and Jerez are circuits that suit him well, and we are looking forward to being back on the grid there in two weeks’ time.”

The next round of the FIM Supersport World Championship will take place from 9 to 11 October at the Circuito Estoril in Portugal.