Ready to race, Somkiat Chantra has passed his fitness test and will compete in the World Superbike 2026 Round 4 at Hungary's Balaton Park Circuit.
"Kong" Somkiat Chantra, the top Thai rider from the Honda HRC factory team, has passed his fitness test.
He has been cleared by the medical team to make his comeback at the World Superbike Championship 2026 Round 4 at Balaton Park Circuit, Hungary, from 1-3 May, pairing with Japanese rider Yuki Kunii, who will replace Jake Dixon for this race.
Beloved Thai rider "Kong" Somkiat Chantra, riding bike number 35, was unfortunately injured during a practice session at the previous round at TT Circuit Assen, suffering a thigh injury that forced him to withdraw from the Netherlands race. He has since rested and successfully regained his fitness.
Most recently, on Thursday, 30 April, "Kong" Somkiat Chantra underwent a medical examination with the World Superbike Championship medical team and was granted permission to race this weekend at Balaton Park Circuit. He will team up with Japanese rider Yuki, who is substituting for Jake this weekend.
Before entering Round 4, "Kong" Somkiat Chantra said, "I’m very happy to have passed the fitness test and to be here at Balaton. This is my first time at this circuit because last year I was injured and couldn’t compete here. My condition is much better than at the last round in Assen, and tomorrow I’ll see how the feeling with the bike is. Of course, I will try my best this weekend."
"First, I need to learn the character of the track and understand everything because it’s all new to me. I will try to improve step by step throughout the weekend. I wish Jake a speedy recovery and welcome Yuki Kunii to our pit."
"I’ve known him for a long time, since the early days when we both started racing, and we have been teammates several times, including at Honda Team Asia. It’s great to work together again because he has a lot of experience, and we will do our best to help the team improve the bike," the Thai rider concluded.
The World Superbike Championship 2026 Round 4 will begin practice sessions on Friday, 1 May, followed by qualifying for the Superpole grid positions on Saturday, 2 May. The first race will take place the same evening at 20:30 Thailand time. On Sunday, 3 May, the Superpole race will start at 16:10, followed by Race 2 at 20:30.