Somkiat Chantra to Miss Australia WorldSBK 2026 Opener

WorldSBK, Sportrik Media - Somkiat Chantra will miss the opening round of the 2026 WorldSBK season in Australia after Honda HRC confirmed he will not be fit in time to race at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.

Chantra had already been forced to sit out the January pre-season tests in Jerez and Portimao following arm injuries sustained during a training accident at Sepang earlier this month. Although the Thai rider underwent surgery shortly after the incident, his recovery timeline has ruled him out of the season-opening round, scheduled for 20–22 February 2026.

“Despite a positive recovery process, Somkiat Chantra will not be fit in time to participate in Round 1 of the Superbike World Championship, set to take place at Phillip Island, Australia, on 20–22 February 2026,” Honda HRC said in its official statement.

Honda confirmed that Chantra underwent a further medical assessment at Bangkok Hospital on 28 January, where his condition was evaluated positively and his cast was removed. Nevertheless, the medical and technical teams agreed that the physical demands of Phillip Island would be incompatible with his short-term recovery outlook.

“The Thai rider visited Bangkok Hospital on 28 January, where his condition was assessed positively and his cast was removed,” the statement added.

In Chantra’s absence, Honda has appointed its official World Superbike test rider Tetsuta Nagashima to line up alongside Jake Dixon in the factory Honda HRC team for the Australian round. The decision ensures continuity in Honda’s technical programme, with Nagashima offering extensive development knowledge of the Honda CBR1000RR-R.

Honda also confirmed that Ryan Vickers will compete at Phillip Island as a wildcard entry. Nagashima’s elevation to race replacement status leaves the wildcard motorcycle available, having previously seen the Japanese rider contest the Australian round as a wildcard in past seasons.

For Chantra, missing the Australian opener means his WorldSBK race debut will be delayed until at least the Portuguese round at Portimao on 27–29 March. The situation impacts his adaptation phase in the Superbike category, while Honda’s immediate focus shifts to maintaining technical stability and data continuity during the opening phase of the 2026 WorldSBK campaign.