Somkiat Chantra fit for Balaton Park debut in WorldSBK

Honda HRC rider Somkiat Chantra will get his first laps of Balaton Park under his belt this weekend (1–3 May) after being passed fit  to ride.

Chantra required a medical check on Thursday morning at Balaton in order to be able to ride this weekend after he missed most of Saturday and all of Sunday at Assen two weeks ago following a crash in FP3 that left him with upper leg contusions.

The Thai rider also missed out on Balaton last year when MotoGP visited the track for the first time as he sat out through injury. Therefore, this weekend’s Hungarian Round will be his first time at the circuit which debuted in World Superbike last year.

“I’m happy to have been passed fit and to be here at Balaton,” Somkiat Chantra said.

“It’s actually my first time at this circuit, because I couldn’t race here last year. 

“My physical condition is better with respect to the last Assen round, and tomorrow we will see how I feel on the bike. 

“For sure, I will try to do my best this weekend. First, I need to learn the track, and understand everything, because it is new to me. I will try to improve step by step throughout the weekend.”

Chantra has another new teammate alongside him in the factory Honda garage this weekend as Jake Dixon continues his recovery from wrist fractures sustained during testing in February.

Jonathan Rea had replaced Dixon at Portimao and Assen, but this time it will be Yuki Kunii who gets his World Superbike debut with Honda.

“First of all, I would like to wish Jake [Dixon] a speedy recovery and hope he can return as soon as possible,” said Kunii, who won the 2024 Asia Road Racing Championship ASB1000 category and was third in the first All-Japan Superbike race of 2026 in Motegi.

“In the meantime, I would like to thank Honda HRC for this opportunity. 

“Last year in Moto2, I could not achieve the results I wanted, so I returned to Japan this season to compete in the All-Japan Road Racing Championship with the CBR1000RR-R. I’ve already scored a podium, which has helped me regain confidence. 

“Then Mori-san [Yuji Mori, Honda HRC team manager] called me about this opportunity. I’m very happy because experiences like this help me grow as a rider, so I want to make the most of it. 

“I don’t feel any pressure; I will try to understand the bike as fast as possible, because of course the bike is quite different to the one I use in Japan, and then I just want to enjoy the weekend, gain experience and do my best on track. 

“I know the Balaton circuit because I rode here last year, so that will help. 

“It’s a pleasure to share the garage with Somkiat, too, we’ve known each other for many years. 

“We first met in the Asia Talent Cup back in 2016, when he won the championship. Then we were team-mates for three years in the Spanish Championship, and again later, for two years, me in Moto3 and him in Moto2. So, it’s nice for us to be together again as team-mates here.”