Öncü first joined Yamaha at the start of 2025 and went on to enjoy his most successful season to date in the Supersport World Championship with six race victories and 16 podium finishes on the all-new R9, securing him a comfortable second in the World Championship and contributing to Yamaha’s success in the manufacturers’ title.

For 2026, the 22-year-old Turkish rider will move to the Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing team, reigning World Supersport Champions and the most successful team in WorldSSP history with 13 World Championships to their name, for another assault on the championship.

The move comes as Yamaha look to follow on from a remarkable debut season for the all-new R9 in 2025, winning the ‘Triple Crown’ with the Riders’, Manufacturers’ and Teams’ titles.

Öncü will line-up alongside 2024 Japanese Superbike Champion Yuki Okamoto, who remains with the Pata Yamaha Ten Kate team for a second season.

Can Öncü
“I am so happy to join Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing and stay with Yamaha in 2026. I had a good year with the R9 this year, but the target is to achieve one place higher in the standings and I think with the Ten Kate team we can make a step forward. The team has had a lot of success in World Supersport in the past, including with Kenan Sofuoğlu, so I am excited to start the new chapter. I will push hard for many podiums and the aim is to fight for the title. Thank you to Yamaha for this incredible opportunity.”

Kervin Bos – Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing Team Manager
“We are extremely happy and proud that Can will be joining our team for the 2026 season. In the past, we achieved great success with his mentor, manager, and coach Kenan Sofuoglu. We are well aware of the great potential Can has and hope to make the most of it together, so we can aim for strong results next year. In addition, we are entering our second year with Yuki Okamoto after a challenging first season. We expect to make a big step forward in our second year thanks to all the knowledge and experience we have gained this season. I believe this gives us a fantastic rider line-up for the upcoming season. We can’t wait to hit the track for the first time with these two riders in January.”

 Niccolò Canepa – Road Racing Sporting Manager, Motorsport Division, Yamaha Motor Europe
“Since joining Yamaha at the start of the season, Can has shown incredible speed with the R9 and while some inconsistency hampered his championship attack, we believe this is something he can build on in 2026 and the partnership with the vastly experienced Pata Yamaha Ten Kate team will help with this. Ten Kate are the most successful team in World Supersport history, and with Can they have one of the fastest and most promising young talents in the category. Over the past three seasons, we saw how the Ten Kate team nurtured Stefano Manzi into a World Champion, so hopefully we can see a similar story with Can.”