Deniz Öncü
Turkish motorcycle racer (born 2003)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Deniz Öncü (born 26 July 2003) is a Turkish motorcycle racer[1] competing in the Moto2 World Championship for the Elf Marc VDS Racing Team. His twin brother, Can, is also a motorcycle racer. Both brothers are mentored by Turkish multi-world champion motorcycle racer, Kenan Sofuoğlu.[2]
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| Deniz Öncü | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nationality | Turkish | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 26 July 2003 Alanya, Turkey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current team | Elf Marc VDS Racing Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bike number | 53 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Career
Early career
Deniz, and his twin brother Can, competed in the Asia Talent Cup in 2016, Deniz finishing in tenth, and Can in ninth.[3] They would compete again in 2017, Deniz becoming champion, and Can finishing third.[4] They both entered the 2017 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, with Deniz finishing fourth, and Can in third.[5] Just like with the Asia Talent Cup, they would try again in 2018, Deniz finishing as runner-up this time, behind his brother Can who was crowned champion.[6]
For 2018, as well as competing in the Red Bull Rookies Cup, both Can and Deniz joined Ajo Motorsport, and raced in the 2018 FIM CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship, Deniz finishing in 14th, and Can finishing in seventh with three podiums.[7]
Moto3 World Championship
Red Bull KTM Ajo (2019)
In 2019, Deniz made two wildcard race appearances with Red Bull KTM Ajo after reaching the minimum age of 16 for the world championship class, finishing 18th in Germany, and 17th in the Czech Republic. Can had been permitted to race from the start of the season, despite being below the minimum age of 16, as he received a special dispensation by Dorna after winning the 2018 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup,[8] and the 2018 Valencian Grand Prix as a wildcard.[9] Deniz replaced Can for a further three rounds, after Can suffered an injury at the Misano round, finishing in 16th, 24th, and 19th.
Red Bull KTM Tech3 (2020–2022)
For 2020, Öncü made his full season debut with Red Bull KTM Tech3. He achieved nine point scoring finishes, 50 points total, a season's best result being a sixth place in Valencia, and finished 17th in the riders' championship.
Öncü continued with Tech3 for the 2021 season, and he achieved his first Moto3 podium with a third place finish in Barcelona, followed by two second places in Austria and Aragon. He also scored his first pole position in Austria, but had to start from the back of the grid, because his Tech3 team elected to switch him to slick tyres, and finished just seconds after the three-minute board was shown.[10] After the race in Austin, he was given a two race ban, after being deemed to have caused a massive incident involving clipping Jeremy Alcoba's front wheel, who went tumbling across the track, his bike being struck by Andrea Migno and Pedro Acosta, who both went airborne.[11] All riders involved walked away from the incident unscathed, and Öncü was replaced by Daniel Holgado for the two race ban. Deniz finished the season with three podiums, 11th in the championship standings, and 95 points.
Return to Red Bull KTM Ajo (2023)
Öncü competed for Red Bull KTM Ajo with teammate José Antonio Rueda in the 2023 season, and he won his first race in the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring.
Moto2 World Championship
Red Bull KTM Ajo (2024-2025)
Red Bull KTM Ajo announced the 2024 Moto2 rider line-up by promoting Öncü from Moto3 to be paired with Celestino Vietti.[12]
Öncü won for the first time in MotorLand Aragon as the first ever Turkish rider to win a Moto2 race by 0.003 seconds against Diogo Moreira in 2025.[13]
Marc VDS Racing Team (2026)
On 17 September, it was announced that Öncü would join the Marc VDS Racing Team for the upcoming 2026 Moto2 season alongside Arón Canet.[14]
Career statistics
Asia Talent Cup
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)
FIM CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
By season
| Season | Class | Motorcycle | Team | Race | Win | Podium | Pole | FLap | Pts | Plcd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Moto3 | KTM | Red Bull KTM Ajo | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35th |
| 2020 | Moto3 | KTM | Red Bull KTM Tech3 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 17th |
| 2021 | Moto3 | KTM | Red Bull KTM Tech3 | 16 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 95 | 11th |
| 2022 | Moto3 | KTM | Red Bull KTM Tech3 | 20 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 200 | 5th |
| 2023 | Moto3 | KTM | Red Bull KTM Ajo | 20 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 223 | 4th |
| 2024 | Moto2 | Kalex | Red Bull KTM Ajo | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 20th |
| 2025 | Moto2 | Kalex | Red Bull KTM Ajo | 12 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 12th |
| 2026 | Moto2 | Boscoscuro | Elf Marc VDS Racing Team | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15.5* | 19th* |
| Total | 116 | 5 | 17 | 8 | 7 | 732.5 | ||||
By class
| Class | Seasons | 1st GP | 1st pod | 1st win | Race | Win | Podiums | Pole | FLap | Pts | WChmp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moto3 | 2019–2023 | 2019 Czech Republic | 2021 Catalunya | 2023 Germany | 76 | 3 | 13 | 8 | 7 | 568 | 0 |
| Moto2 | 2024–present | 2024 Qatar | 2024 Aragón | 2025 Aragón | 40 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 164.5 | 0 |
| Total | 2019–present | 116 | 5 | 17 | 8 | 7 | 732.5 | 0 | |||
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Class | Bike | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | Pos | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Moto3 | KTM | QAT | ARG | AME | SPA | FRA | ITA | CAT | NED | GER | CZE 18 |
AUT 17 |
GBR | RSM 16 |
ARA 24 |
THA 19 |
JPN | AUS | MAL | VAL | 35th | 0 | |||
| 2020 | Moto3 | KTM | QAT 12 |
SPA 25 |
ANC Ret |
CZE 15 |
AUT 8 |
STY Ret |
RSM 16 |
EMI 7 |
CAT Ret |
FRA 22 |
ARA 15 |
TER 7 |
EUR 14 |
VAL 6 |
POR 10 |
17th | 50 | |||||||
| 2021 | Moto3 | KTM | QAT 20 |
DOH 18 |
POR 15 |
SPA 20 |
FRA 9 |
ITA Ret |
CAT 3 |
GER 16 |
NED 15 |
STY 21 |
AUT 2 |
GBR 8 |
ARA 2 |
RSM 21 |
AME 5 |
EMI | ALR | VAL 5 |
11th | 95 | ||||
| 2022 | Moto3 | KTM | QAT 4 |
INA 5 |
ARG 14 |
AME 5 |
POR 4 |
SPA 4 |
FRA 9 |
ITA 15 |
CAT 5 |
GER 7 |
NED 9 |
GBR 3 |
AUT 4 |
RSM 4 |
ARA 4 |
JPN 15 |
THA 17 |
AUS 2 |
MAL 10 |
VAL 2 |
5th | 200 | ||
| 2023 | Moto3 | KTM | POR 10 |
ARG 24 |
AME 6 |
SPA 9 |
FRA 6 |
ITA 2 |
GER 1 |
NED 3 |
GBR 11 |
AUT 1 |
CAT 11 |
RSM 3 |
IND 14 |
JPN Ret |
INA 8 |
AUS 1 |
THA 5 |
MAL 11 |
QAT 3 |
VAL 5 |
4th | 223 | ||
| 2024 | Moto2 | Kalex | QAT 15 |
POR 20 |
AME 22 |
SPA 14 |
FRA 18 |
CAT 19 |
ITA 13 |
NED | GER | GBR | AUT 11 |
ARA 3 |
RSM 19 |
EMI Ret |
INA 9 |
JPN 17 |
AUS 21 |
THA 10 |
MAL 7 |
SLD 21 |
20th | 49 | ||
| 2025 | Moto2 | Kalex | THA 12 |
ARG 14 |
AME Ret |
QAT 2 |
SPA 5 |
FRA 17 |
GBR 19 |
ARA 1 |
ITA 6 |
NED Ret |
GER 1 |
CZE 13 |
AUT | HUN | CAT | RSM | JPN |
INA |
AUS |
MAL |
POR |
VAL |
12th | 100 |
| 2026 | Moto2 | Boscoscuro | THA 9‡ |
BRA 20 |
USA 20 |
SPA 13 |
FRA 13 |
CAT 22 |
ITA 10 |
HUN 17 |
CZE 18 |
NED Ret |
GER 17 |
GBR | ARA | RSM | AUT | JPN | INA | AUS | MAL | QAT | POR | VAL | 19th* | 15.5* |
‡ Half points awarded as less than half of the race distance (but at least three full laps) was completed.
* Season still in progress.
