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2018 RedBull Rookies Cup Champion is CAN ONCU!

The Öncü brothers did the leading and the winning at Misano with Can taking victory and the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup for 2018. The 15-year-old Turks had to fight all the way with seven other KTM RC 250 Rs and while Deniz did most of the leading, a tiny error at the end left him crossing the line a furious eighth.

For most of the race Can was not in a Cup winning position, with 50 points still on offer at the final round in Aragon he needed a decent finish as his brother and arch rival Deniz was heading the field. At one point Deniz managed to break away by almost a second but that lasted less than a lap with Salač leading Can and the rest back onto his tail.

 

Can can think and win

“I can’t believe what a perfect day this is,” beamed Can Öncü. “To win the Cup by winning the race is perfect. It was such a tough race. Early on I was not so comfortable, I felt that the grip was not as good as yesterday and my front suspension was not perfect. So I calmed myself down and started to understand the situation.”

“I realised that the others were not getting away but they were racing so hard that they were using up their tyres. So I waited for the right time to push. Then I went for it. It was still a tough race but I managed to slipstream past Salač and win. It worked perfectly. A huge thanks to all the people who work so hard to make the Cup work and to those who support us,” concluded the Cup Champion.

Everyone a fighter

Sitting beside him in the Rookies changing room, Can’s effervescence was contrasted by the thundercloud hovering over Deniz. The smile will come back but until it does he explained; “It was totally bad. Yes I did most of the leading but in the end I went too deep and ran wide, three riders passed me and some more out of the slipstream on the straight. I fought back but then on the last lap Carrasco passed and blocked me, I pushed again but into the last corner I had a big rear slide and I was wide, right over the kerb. Not good.”