Outsider gets taste of Kenan Sofuoglu methods that forged Toprak Razgatlioglu

Aldi Mahendra trained at Kenan Sofuoglu’s facility in Turkiye before the Hungarian WorldSBK.

Updated: 14 Aug 2025

Aldi Mahendra, 2025 UK WorldSBK, Supersport. Credit: Gold and Goose.
© Gold & Goose

Yamaha WorldSSP rider Aldi Mahendra has spoken about his experience training in Turkiye in Kenan Sofuoglu’s facility.

Sofuoglu, the five-time Supersport World Champion, has developed a small but effective training facility in his native Turkiye, its best-known product to now being two-time World Superbike Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu.

WorldSSP's Can Oncu, Moto2 rider Deniz Oncu, and Razgatlioglu's fellow WorldSBK rider Bahattin Sofuoglu, who is Kenan Sofuoglu's nephew, are also a part of the group that trains at the Sofuoglu facility.

As Sofuoglu in his own career, all of the riders that now train as part of his group are characterised by their aggressive riding and racing styles.

Mahendra graduated to the World Supersport Championship this year after winning the Supersport 300 title in 2024, becoming the first Indonesian to win an FIM World Championship title in the process.

Moving up with the Evan Bros team this year, Mahendra has been joined in the garage by Can Oncu, who moved to the Italian setup from the Puccetti Kawasaki team over the winter.

It’s the partnership with Oncu – who is rumoured to be in-line for a switch to Moto2 in 2026 with the Yamaha-backed Pramac team thanks to his performances this year that currently leave him second in the championship and 59 points behind Stefano Manzi – that saw Mahendra in Turkiye to train ahead of the Hungarian Round at Balaton Park.

“Before Balaton, I trained in Turkey,” Mahendra told German publication Speedweek.

“That was good for me, also for my mental attitude.

“It was very tough and a new experience.

“After that, I tried to continue like [that], in the gym and training on the bike.

“I just tried to make an effort. Can [Oncu] helped me a lot with that.

“I'm trying to learn from him because he has a lot of experience compared to me.”

Mahendra currently sits 11th in the 2025 Supersport World Championship standings, having scored seven top-10 finishes in the opening eight rounds with a best finish of fifth in Race 1 at Autodrom Most.