Can Oncu takes fourth WorldSSP pole of the season in scorching conditions at Donington Park

Can Öncü secured pole position in the World Supersport class on Friday afternoon at Donington Park. The Turkish rider was in a league of his own during the Superpole session and claimed his fourth pole position of the season, with three of them coming in the last four race weekends. Team-mate Yuki Okamoto qualified in thirtieth place.

The eighth round of the FIM Supersport World Championship got underway on a very sunny and hot Friday at Donington Park. Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing started strongly, with Öncü setting the second-fastest time in Free Practice, just 0.002s behind the fastest rider, while Okamoto finished the session in 25th place at a circuit where he has very little experience.

By the time Superpole began, temperatures had climbed above 30°C, but Öncü thrived in the challenging conditions. The Turkish rider posted a 1’28.650 lap, an impressive 0.3s clear of the rest of the field. It marked his fourth pole position of the season, with three achieved across the last four race weekends, and the eighth pole position of his World Supersport career.

Okamoto used both Friday sessions to gain valuable experience around the fast and flowing Donington Park circuit. His best lap was a 1’30.963, which means he will start Race 1 from 30th on the grid.

Can Öncü (P1 – 1’28,650):
“After the short break it’s very nice to be on pole position again, I’m very happy about it. Already in the Free Practice session, I felt we had a good pace and a good feeling on the bike. We made some small steps forward with the bike and analysed where we could improve, and it looks like it worked well in Superpole. It was quite tricky to do the lap, because it’s always difficult to get a clean lap at Donington Park. Although it was still two tenths above the lap record, I was quite impressed when I saw the lap time because the track temperature was very high today. This means we’ve done a very good job, and I was able to do this lap time because the team gave me a great bike. Now we need to make another small step for tomorrow’s race and then hopefully we are ready to battle. I’m excited to go racing.”

Yuki Okamoto (P30 – 1’30,963 | +2,313):
“It was a very tough day. It was my first full day at this circuit and although I gave my best, I wasn’t able to achieve the result we were hoping for. Together with the team we will work to find what we need to improve for tomorrow. I will reset my mindset, stay positive and give it everything I have.”

Kervin Bos – Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing team manager:
“Today we experienced tropical conditions at one of the most beautiful circuits on the calendar. As always on a Friday, Donington Park was already packed with fans, and we were able to secure pole position with Can. Yuki gained a lot of valuable track knowledge today and is learning the circuit step by step. The team worked in a very constructive and professional way on both sides of the garage, and I believe we’re ready to go racing tomorrow.

The weather is expected to be a little cooler, but I think we can be very happy that we get to race here in these conditions. On top of that, our hospitality is full of partners and guests this weekend, so everything is in place to make it a fantastic weekend.”

Oncu takes fifth place in Race 1 at Donington Park, Okamoto finishes 21st

Can Öncü finished fifth in the first World Supersport race at Donington Park on Saturday afternoon. The Turkish rider was unable to convert his pole position into a podium finish in sunny conditions at the British circuit. Team-mate Yuki Okamoto crossed the line in 21st place.

The sun was shining brightly over Donington Park once again on Saturday for the opening race day of the weekend, although temperatures were more comfortable than in the previous days. Öncü made full use of his pole position and immediately took the lead, a position he managed to hold for much of the race.

However, the race took a turn halfway through when he lost the lead and immediately dropped several positions. Öncü refused to give up and remained involved in the battle at the front, eventually taking the chequered flag in fifth place. The result earned him 11 championship points, and he will start Race 2 from sixth on the grid.

Starting further down the order in his first race at Donington Park, Okamoto made steady progress thanks to a strong race pace and determined overtaking moves. The Japanese rider eventually finished 21st, gaining valuable data and experience ahead of Race 2.

Can Öncü (P5 | +5,689):
“The start of the race was quite good and we had a strong pace in the beginning. However, halfway during the race I lost multiple positions and when I tried to recover, there was already quite a big gap. I was in a battle with some other riders and finally the best possible result was P5, so we’ll take it. If I rode a bit more clever the podium was definitely possible, but it is what it is. We have to focus on Race 2 now and see what’s possible tomorrow.”

Yuki Okamoto (P21 | +29,165):
“It was another very tough race for me, but we made a lot of improvements. Step by step we are getting better, but the result is still disappointing. I know that there are still many areas that can be improved, and I believe that together with the team we can achieve a better result tomorrow. I will give it my best, for sure.”

Kervin Bos – Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing team manager:
“It was a disappointing Race 1 for us today. When you start from pole position and finish fifth, you can’t be satisfied. We need to analyse what happened, find a solution and come back fighting tomorrow. Yuki had a good day and is getting into his rhythm at Donington Park step by step. With the current schedule there is very little time to learn a new circuit, but we can see that he is improving in every session. I expect to see the best of him tomorrow.”

Ten Kate Racing disappointed at lack of podium at Donington Park

Can Öncü finished eighth in the second World Supersport race at Donington Park on Sunday afternoon. The Turkish rider made an impressive start and led the race for several laps, but ultimately had to settle for eighth place. Teammate Yuki Okamoto concluded the sunny race weekend with a twentieth-place finish.

Following an eventful first race on Saturday afternoon, Race 2 for the World Supersport class took place on Sunday afternoon at Donington Park. Once again, the conditions were sunny and warm at the British circuit. Starting from sixth on the grid, Öncü made an excellent opening lap, immediately moving up to second place. On the third lap, he took the lead and looked set to fight for a strong result.

However, Öncü came under heavy pressure from his rivals and had to defend his position throughout the race. In the closing stages, the Turkish rider dropped back to eighth place and was unable to secure the podium finish he had been aiming for. With a total of 178 points, Öncü remains fourth in the World Supersport championship standings.

Okamoto continued to make progress throughout the weekend at Donington Park and delivered another solid race. The Japanese rider eventually crossed the finish line in twentieth place, meaning he leaves the British round without adding to his points tally.

Can Öncü (P8 | +5,166):
“This was not the weekend we wanted. We started very strongly in Race 2 but couldn’t bring home the result in the end. I learned some big lessons in today’s race and I will improve myself a lot for the upcoming races. I had a great feeling with the bike and the team did a great job, but it is a disappointing result so we need to continue working ahead of the next round.”

Yuki Okamoto (P20 | +25,142):
“We improved ourselves in every session but like yesterday we couldn’t get the result we were hoping for. It was my first time racing at this circuit and I give it my very best, but it was not the result we wanted. Now we have one month of summer break before the next round at Magny-Cours. We will keep working hard and make more improvements together with the team, and I will give it my best.”

Kervin Bos – Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing team manager:
“It was a disappointing weekend for Can without a podium finish. These were disappointing races and we cannot allow this to happen again in the future. Yuki improved once again today and continued to make progress throughout the weekend. Learning a new circuit during a race weekend is a significant challenge, and I’m pleased that he showed improvement in every session. Because of that, we can still leave the weekend with a positive feeling. We now head into the summer break, which we will use to sharpen our tools for the final part of the season. We’re looking forward to testing with both riders at Magny-Cours before returning there to resume the championship.”

With eight of the twelve race weekends of the 2026 season now completed, two-thirds of the championship has already been contested. Following a seven-week summer break, the FIM Supersport World Championship will resume on the weekend of 4–6 September at Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours in France.