Somkiat Chantra is ready to compete in the World Superbike Round 3, aiming to improve his results at Assen as he builds on his progress after scoring his first points.
On 16 April 2026, the World Superbike Championship returns for its third round after a break of over three weeks. The races will take place from 17-19 April at the TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands, a track renowned for its classic and distinctive character.
This week, "Kong" Somkiat Chantra, a top Thai rider on the Honda CBR1000RR-R bike number 35 from the Honda HRC factory team, will compete for the second race of the season. He debuted in the World Superbike Championship at Portimão, Portugal, where he successfully scored his first points.
The beloved Thai rider has arrived at the TT Circuit Assen to prepare with his team for the competition. He will partner with six-time world champion Jonathan Rea, the experienced Irish rider number 65, who is competing again in place of British rider Jake Dixon for the second consecutive race.
"Kong" Somkiat Chantra said, "In Portugal, I scored my first points in the World Superbike, but the most important thing is that we must keep improving step by step throughout the weekend, which is good for all of us. Now we are preparing to race at Assen, a track where I have performed well in the past and one that I really like."
"Assen is a circuit with a different character, having a smoother track surface compared to others (with fewer elevation changes). So it will be interesting to see how much data and performance I can gather. We must continue working from Portimão and build on our progress, improving lap by lap and moving forward together with the team."
The 2026 World Superbike Championship Round 3 will start official practice sessions on Friday, 17 April, followed by the "Superpole" qualifying to determine the starting grid. The main race will take place on Saturday, 18 April at 20:30 Thailand time. On Sunday, 19 April, the "Superpole Race" will be held at 16:10, followed by Race 2 at 20:30.