A breakthrough: Deniz Öncü (Marc VDS) pushed himself to new heights at Silverstone

The spectacular maiden Moto2 victory for Czech rider Filip Salac (American Racing) and third place for Forward rider Alex Escrig provided the highlights of the middle Grand Prix class at Silverstone recently, in a race characterised by a frantic finish. Marc VDS rider Deniz Öncü’s eighth place went largely unnoticed – yet it was a real breakthrough.

For the 2025 Sachsenring winner – the Turkish rider had danced with joy on his bike in Germany – it was his best result of the season so far. The way in which Öncü secured eighth place was remarkable and bore no resemblance to his inconsistent performances in 2026: the five-time GP winner charged through the nervous field from 21st on the grid. At the finish line, he was less than a second behind Alonso Lopez, who finished sixth.

Engste Freunde: Öncü mit MotoGP-Rookie Toprak Razgatlioglu

Foto: Gold and Goose

The race on the island was only Öncü’s fifth finish in the World Championship points in 2026 for Team VDS. The exceptionally talented Öncü, who celebrated his 23rd birthday during the summer break at the end of July, had previously only managed a tenth-place finish at Mugello. For his eighth place at Silverstone, Öncü was embraced by the crew led by team manager Marina Rossi as if he’d made it onto the podium.

The fact is: the injuries sustained during the 2025 season and the subsequent switch from Kalex to the Boscoscuro chassis have caused serious problems for the former Turkish prodigy. Meanwhile, the young Turk’s future remains unclear: Whilst his Spanish team-mate Aron Canet (26) still has a contract with the VDS team running until the end of 2028, the outlook is different for Kenan Sofuoglu’s protégé and Toprak’s mate, Öncü. Öncü has not yet reached an agreement for the coming season. His deal with the Belgian team, which lost its founder and owner Marc van der Straten just a few weeks ago, expires at the end of 2026.

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28.08.2026 - 08:55