Can Oncu topped FIM Supersport World Championship Superpole qualifying Friday at Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, in Portugal. Riding his BluCRU Evan Bros Yamaha YZF-R9 on Pirelli control tires, Oncu lapped the 2.85-mile (4.59 km) course in 1:42.944 to top the field of 34 riders and earn pole position.
Lucas Mahias was the best of the rest with a 1:43.542 on his GMT94 Yamaha YZF R9, and Federico Caricasulo earned the third and final spot on the front row with a lap time of 1:43.570 on his Motozoo ME Air Racing MV AGUSTA F3 800 RR.
Former MotoAmerica Supersport regular Valentin Debise was 8th with a 1:43.842 on his Renzi Corse Ducati Panigale V2.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
FIRST POLE FOR ONCU: Turkish star claims maiden WorldSSP pole position with blistering performance at Portimao. The #61 was unbeatable in the 40-minute session as he claimed his first WorldSSP pole with a huge six-tenths margin to his rivals
Round 2 of the FIM Supersport World Championship season is underway at a sunny Portimao, Portugal. Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) maintained his testing to claim his first career WorldSSP pole, with the Turkish superstar carrying a six-time margin to Lucas Mahias (GMT94-YAMAHA), who snuck into P2 minutes before the end of the session, followed by Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME Air Racing) in P3.
ONCU STAYS CONSISTENT: Oncu sits pole, followed by Mahias and Caricasulo
Oncu (kept up his strong recent form, placing P1 with his 1’42.994s lap, as the only rider to lap in the 1’42s bracket. He claimed Turkey’s first pole since Portimao 2017, when Oncu’s mentor, Kenan Sofuoglu, was P1. Mahias placed P2 with his 1’43.542s lap earning a front-row finish after a very strong showing in testing earlier in the week and a P4 finish in FP1 earlier in the day. Caricasulo built on his FP success and claimed P3 thanks to his 1’43.570s lap, his first front-row start since Jerez 2023.
ALCOBA TO LEAD ROW 2: Alcoba P4, Bendsneyder P5, Manzi P6
Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) earned his best result of the season so far with his P4 on the back of his 1’43.603s lap, only missing out on the front row by 0.033s. Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) finished P5 thanks to a 1’43.685s lap after he earned pole position in Australia. Stefano Manzi’s (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) 1’43.720s lap snagged him a second-row finish in P6, same as his FP1 position this morning.
SCHROETTER P7: The German rider will lead P3, Debise P8, Masia P9
Marcel Schroetter (WRP Racing) will lead row three into Race 1, his 1’43.835s lap placing him P7. Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse) impressed with his 1’43.842s lap, finishing P8, narrowly missing out on P7 by a mere 0.007s. Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) rounded out the first three rows in P9 through his 1’43.863s lap, hot on the heels of Debise, only 0.021s slower.
FREE PRACTICE 1 RESULTS: Oncu, Caricasulo, Bendsneyder take top three spots
Earlier in the day in World Supersport’s FP, Oncu maintained his strong form from testing here in Portimao, pipping Caricasulo by a mere 0.048s. Fellow MV Agusta F3 800 RR rider, Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) joined Caricasulo in the top three. Despite a late Turn 5 crash from which he quickly rejoined the track uninjured, Lucas Mahias (GMT94-YAMAHA) finished in P4.
The top six from the WorldSBK Superpole Race, full results here!
1. Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) 1’42.944s
2. Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) +0.598s
3. Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) +0.626s
4. Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) +0.659s
5. Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +0.741s
6. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +0.776s
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