Moto2 – Deniz Oncu shows big ambitions for the end of the season

Author of a complicated start to the season, Deniz Oncu compromised his participation in three Grands Prix by injuring his hand. The one who plays his second consecutive year with team Red Bull KTM Ajo, however, is not giving up on his ambitions in Moto2. While he is currently working on getting back to full fitness, Öncü is setting big goals for the second half of the year.

Read also: Moto2: Deniz Oncu still unfit for Great Britain

If Deniz Oncu is competing in his second consecutive year with the Red Bull KTM Ajo team, the transition from Moto3 to Moto2 was not without adaptation difficulties. They were actually numerous, as the main person explains in an interview broadcast by the team in the middle of the summer break.

“It was not an easy start for the team, due to changes to the suspensions, tires, He says. Obviously, it was difficult for me to join a 'new' team, so I needed to learn everything. I am facing a challenge where I need to improve my performance and get closer to the front. I really enjoy this position, so I'm optimistic for the future. 

We made some mistakes, but I think we are now heading in the right direction, He continues. The easiest thing for me was the relationship with the team. At the end of the day, we know each other, even though we were in different classes before, it's still the same family. »

Before progressing, it will be necessary to recover from injury. A more difficult task than it seems when you know the difficult recovery that the Moto2 rider goes through. However, nothing to slow down the Turk who is not changing his road plan: the primary objective in 2024 will be to achieve a top-3 finish.

“I was really sad when I was sitting at home watching the races, admits number 53. But it's sport and sometimes injuries happen. I'm doing my best to recover as quickly as possible, but it's definitely not easy. My goal is to return as soon as possible and, of course, to be in the best shape to avoid a relapse. The operation went well and I am working hard on the rehabilitation to get back on the bike soon. 

The main goals are to improve my driving style and speed, as well as my pace in general, he adds again. If I improve my speed, I will be faster in qualifying and therefore closer to the first places in the race. Like I said, I want to get into the Top 5 and then, once that's done, get on the podium. »

To achieve this, Deniz Oncu admits to drawing inspiration from his predecessors. Pedro Acosta, Augusto Fernandez and even Remy Gardner, all of his riders who took part in the last German MotoGP Grand Prix went through the KTM Ajo team in the world championship.

“Of course I watched the best riders because they are really good, very strong and they have won the world championships. People like Remy Gardner, Augusto Fernandez and Pedro Acosta. But the one with the most world championships is Aki Ajo, because of his work system and his mentality. So for me there are very good references, but Aki has the biggest role in the team. Aki contributed a lot to making them world champions, so I believe he can make me a champion in the future." concludes Deniz Oncu.