Somkiat Chantra made a fierce comeback to overtake and secure a top 13 finish at the 16th round of the 2026 MotoGP, the Japanese Grand Prix in Japan.
The Japanese Grand Prix motorcycle road race held its main event on Sunday, 4 October. Thai rider "Kong" Somkiat Chantra competed for the Honda Factory Team, HRC, this weekend riding the Honda RC213V bike number 15.
This race consisted of 24 laps. Somkiat Chantra started from the 15th grid and got off to a good start, maintaining a tight group. However, he lost position when avoiding a collision with the rider ahead, dropping to 21st place.
Nevertheless, the Thai rider calmly controlled his bike, gradually increasing his speed and overtaking competitors continuously before crossing the finish line in 13th place with a total time of 42 minutes 2.800 seconds. He secured 3 points from this race, proving the capability of the Thai rider at the highest level of world competition.
Meanwhile, "Mai Kew" Kiatisak Singhapong, a young Thai talent wearing number 85, made his Moto3 debut by steadily increasing his speed but unfortunately crashed during the main race. Despite this, it was a promising start and an important experience for the remaining six races this year.
Somkiat Chantra will next compete in the 2026 World Superbike Championship at Circuito Estoril in Portugal from 9-11 October, which coincides with the next MotoGP round at Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit in Indonesia.