Somkiat Chantra makes a comeback to the 2026 World Superbike Championship with the first test day at Portimao.
The 2026 World Superbike Championship held an official two-day test at the Algarve International Circuit in Portimao, Portugal, from 9 to 10 March.
After sustaining an injury in mid-January, Thai rider Somkiat Chantra, number 35 from the Honda HRC factory team, has recovered and rejoined the team to participate in testing.
The first test day at Portimao took place on Monday, 9 March, with rain falling midday, causing a halt in testing. The session resumed on a damp track, allowing continued work with the bike.
Somkiat planned to test two bikes with the team, but due to rain, he tested only one bike, completing 41 laps. He ranked 13th with a best lap time of 1 minute 42.546 seconds, 1.924 seconds behind the leader.
Somkiat is scheduled to test again on Tuesday, 10 March, the final test day before the second race at the same circuit from 27 to 29 March.