Honda HRC Completes Limited Portimão Test with Chantra and Rea

Weather disrupts two-day WorldSBK test in Portugal as Somkiat Chantra returns from injury and Jonathan Rea stands in for Jake Dixon.

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The Honda HRC team completed a short test session at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal, with riders Somkiat Chantra and Jonathan Rea taking part ahead of the second round of the World Superbike Championship.

The two-day test was meant to help the team prepare for the upcoming race weekend scheduled for 27–29 March, but difficult weather conditions meant that only one day of meaningful track action was possible.

Chantra returned to the bike after recovering from injuries that forced him to miss several pre-season tests as well as the season-opening round in Australia. The Thai rider used the limited track time to rebuild confidence with the bike and evaluate his physical condition after the layoff.

Meanwhile, Rea stepped in to replace Jake Dixon, who is still recovering from injuries sustained during testing at Phillip Island last month.

Both riders started Monday strongly, making the most of the dry conditions in the morning. However, a rain shower just before 1pm forced riders back into the pits and left the circuit damp for much of the afternoon. The WorldSBK field only managed to return to the track during the final hour of the day.

During the available track time, Chantra and Rea focused on general bike setup and electronics development on the Honda CBR1000RR-R. By the end of the session, Chantra had completed 41 laps, while Rea logged 32 laps.

Tuesday’s schedule was ultimately cancelled due to cold temperatures and mixed weather conditions, preventing any further running. Despite the limited track time, both riders reported positive feedback from the session.

Rea said he was pleased to return to the track and continue working with the Honda crew despite the challenging conditions.

“Yesterday I had a smile on my face just because I was riding the bike at this circuit that I love,” he said. “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.”

He added that testing throughout the winter had been heavily affected by the weather, limiting the team’s ability to collect data.

“So far we’ve only managed to complete around 50–60 laps in total, which is less than one full day of testing in normal conditions. There is still a lot of work to do, but we’re slowly understanding the direction we need to take.”

Chantra, meanwhile, was pleased to return to riding after his injury break, even though he is still managing some physical discomfort.

“It was good to be back on the bike and able to test, even if we only completed around 40 laps,” he said. “I tried to take things step by step to check how my arms were feeling.”

He explained that his left arm felt fine, while the right side still caused some pain when leaning into corners.

“I expected that and it’s quite normal at this stage. The goal of this test was to get track time and regain confidence with my racing bike and my team.”

The Honda HRC squad is expected to confirm its final rider line-up for the second WorldSBK round in Portimão in the coming days.