Marco Agostini, the Italian soul of Triumph: "I dream of the Supersport title, Booth-Amos knows how to win"

Marco Agostini, chief technician of the PTR team in Supersport, spoke to us about Booth-Amos’s double win in England and other important aspects of the Triumph project.

Before the long summer break, the Supersport World Championship stopped at Donington Park for what was the home round for Triumph, the PTR team, and Tom Booth-Amos. It was a success: the British rider scored a double victory. These were the first triumphs of the 2026 season. We talked about this and more with Tuscan chief technician Marco Agostini.

“Obviously, winning in England with an English brand, an English team, an English rider, and Triumph’s key people in the box was a great satisfaction. Also, Donington Park is a circuit I like; it’s old style, and winning there is never a given. Even if someone might think we were favored by racing at home, I want to point out that we hadn’t tested there at all this year. We only have past data. Two years ago we did the BSB race, when I started working with Tom, and then we only went there for World Championship rounds. Clearly, there were extra motivations, but we were also coming in strong from the Misano weekend, where we finished second in Race 2 in a very critical grip situation.”

“I expected to be able to win at Donington; a second place would have felt tight. We also made setup updates on the bike, further refining the engine braking. At Misano he settled for second; at home he wanted to win. The difference at Donington was the rider’s calm. When he wants to, Booth-Amos knows how to win.”

“Perhaps the expectation was to be a bit further ahead. We lost some important points in the early rounds of the championship and at Most. I always aim for the maximum; I want to see progression and finish on a high. And as long as the calculator doesn’t rule us out of the world title fight, we have to think we can come back and win. We need to score the maximum points race by race. Our advantage is that we have no pressure; we have nothing to lose. I’m disappointed about the weekend at Most, where we could have taken two podiums and instead came away with no points due to two crashes. I know making up ground will be complicated; even finishing on the final Supersport championship podium wouldn’t be bad, but I always aim high—I like to dream.”

“He’s not a testing or qualifying guy, but in the race he gives his all and he’s very strong when the tires drop off. He’s a race-day rider. Personality-wise, on one hand he’s a bit of a cool Englishman; on the other, he’s opening up a bit also thanks to me—being Italian, I’m a bit warmer. We have a good relationship. Whatever change is made to the bike, he tries to get the most out of it; he doesn’t back down if something isn’t working perfectly. Together with team manager Simon Buckmaster we built a working system that allowed the rider to grow. Simon believed a lot in Tom, gave him a good opportunity, and we’re satisfied with the results, even though we can always do better. If he improves in practice and in emotional management, he becomes a title contender. He needs to do as he did at Donington. If he starts believing more in his potential, he can exploit 100% of the bike and stay consistently at the front. Talks are underway to keep him for 2027; there’s no agreement yet. I’d be happy if he stayed.”

“He’s truly a good guy, a good rider, and also an excellent teammate. He has a good relationship with Tom. Now he’s finally finding his own identity in Supersport, whereas before people talked a lot about him being Troy’s son. Oli wants to walk on his own two feet and he’s proving it with good results. He needs to be a bit more consistent and clear-headed in the race; he has to manage the second half better when the tire drops. He doesn’t always reap what he showed in practice. He’s good to work with; he needs one last step. I’d like to keep him on the team in 2027 as well; he has good potential and he’s growing. Talks are underway—I’d be happy for him to stay. If it were up to me, I’d keep both Booth-Amos and Bayliss; they’re both strong and there’s great harmony in the box.”

“We need to work a bit on the weight; we’re a bit heavier, and I’d like to be closer to the limit. We must remember we’re starting from a naked, not a Supersport: there are dimensions we can’t touch; the frame and the swingarm are standard. That limits us a bit. Compared to the Yamaha, we struggle a bit more in the S-bends. We have excellent grip and the engine is good, because it’s a middle ground between a four- and a twin-cylinder, which gives you great torque and also speed. We don’t have major problems, but we would need to work with different dimensions. We’re also constrained in terms of ergonomics.”

"We need to start working on it to have a clearer picture, but even from the tests done on the road bike with Triumph’s testers, it seems a step forward has been made. For example, there appears to be an improvement in terms of handling, and the bike seems to turn better from mid-corner onwards. Work has also been done on aerodynamics and ergonomics; riders should feel more comfortable riding it, especially during direction changes. The current bike has a larger fuel tank and is bulkier, as well as heavier. The engine is new, even if not entirely: it has been revised compared to the current one, and the displacement will increase."

"Yes. As an Italian, it was a nice personal challenge for me to start working with an English team. I have to thank Simon Buckmaster, who called me back after the first two races we did together, telling me he needed me. I also want to emphasize that there’s a whole group working well: I’m doing my part, and others are doing theirs. The Triumph guys listen to me, and that’s very satisfying, also because we’re only about ten people—it’s not a MotoGP structure. It would have been easier for me to join an Italian team—I had offers—but I wanted to challenge myself in an English environment. For me, it’s doubly satisfying to see that a great relationship has formed and that we’re working well."

"I hope to help Triumph grow in racing. Even in BSB, everything starts from the material we developed with the PTR team. It’s a great challenge. Clearly, the goal is to bring the manufacturer to victory. I work to achieve the maximum; I’d love to win the Supersport World Championship."

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