The Honda HRC team conducted a two-day test session at Portugal‘s Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in early March 2026, featuring riders Somkiat Chantra and Jonathan Rea. The session aimed to prepare the squad for the upcoming second round of the championship scheduled for March 27–29, with Chantra returning after recovering from injury and Rea temporarily replacing the sidelined Jake Dixon due to injury sustained during last month’s Phillip Island test. Unfortunately, adverse weather conditions restricted track time to just one day.
Practice and Team Objectives Under Challenging Conditions
During the test, Honda’s riders focused on refining motorcycle setup and electronics across the limited laps they could complete. On the first day, both Chantra and Rea began positively, completing 41 and 32 laps respectively before rain halted the session shortly before 1 p.m. The damp track delayed further runs until a brief dry period late in the day allowed riders to return to the circuit. Weather instability continued through Tuesday, with colder temperatures and mixed conditions preventing the team from conducting additional on-track activities.
Despite the limited riding time, the Honda HRC team expressed satisfaction with the progress made, particularly in maintaining a positive atmosphere and constructive collaboration within the team. The test served as an important opportunity for Chantra to assess his physical condition and regain racing confidence after a lengthy recovery period that kept him out of early preseason tests and the opening championship round in Australia.
Jonathan Rea Reflects on the Testing Experience
“Yesterday I had a smile on my face just because I was riding the bike at this circuit that I love. It was great to work with the crew again and get that feeling back, even though we once again had to deal with some bad weather. In fact, the weather has been a challenge throughout the whole winter testing season. So far, we’ve only managed to complete around 50–60 laps in all, which is less than one full day of testing in normal conditions, so we still have a lot of work to do. That said, I was able to understand the level of the CBR quite quickly when I arrived. It’s already good, but there are clearly some areas where we can improve. We’re getting there gradually, and we’re giving the engineers in Japan and the team here a clearer direction to follow. Physically my condition is much better compared to the first test we had in Jerez, where I couldn’t bend my knee enough to ride comfortably. Portimao is a very physical track, so all in all it was a good test, and I feel physically ready to keep progressing with the work.”
– Jonathan Rea, Honda HRC rider
Somkiat Chantra Assesses His Return to Racing
It was of course good to be back on the bike and able to test, even if the weather only allowed us to complete around 40 laps. I tried to take it step by step to check how my arms were feeling. The left arm has been okay, but on the right side I still can’t move exactly as I did before and when I try to lean into the corner, I feel a bit of pain. But I was expecting that, and it’s quite normal. I had already done some training with my CBR600RR back in Thailand, but the goal of this test was to get some proper track time and regain confidence with my racing bike and with my team. I’ll now return home and continue training; I hope to be ready for the Portimaoround.
– Somkiat Chantra, Honda HRC rider
Upcoming Decisions and Preparation for Portimao Race Weekend
Looking ahead, the Honda HRC team plans to finalize the rider lineup for the second WorldSBK round at Portimao in the coming days. The test, though hampered by weather, provided critical insights on bike performance and rider readiness, especially important for Chantra’s continued recovery and Rea’s role as a substitute while Jake Dixon remains out. As the squad prepares for the race weekend, further adjustments and preparations are expected to enhance competitiveness on this demanding and physically challenging circuit.
