The historic TT Circuit awaits Chantra and Rea at Assen
TT Circuit AssenHonda HRC riders Somkiat Chantra and Jonathan Rea prepare to take on the ‘Cathedral of Speed’
The Honda HRC team is already on site at the Assen TT Circuit in the Netherlands, ready for the third round of the 2026 FIM Superbike World Championship. With Jake Dixon working hard to recover as quickly as possible, but not yet fit to compete, the factory rider will again be replaced by test rider Jonathan Rea, who will share the garage with permanent entry Somkiat Chantra.
Round 2 was held just over two weeks ago at the Algarve Circuit in Portugal. Chantra made his debut WorldSBK appearance and was able to score his first championship point in Sunday’s race 2 after making gradual progress over the course of the weekend. Focusing more on developmental aspects than outright race results in his role as test rider, Rea nevertheless placed P12 on Sunday.
Having enjoyed stable, sunny weather in Portimão, the squad expects more mixed conditions during the upcoming Dutch round. Thai rookie Chantra has good memories of the track, having finished top five in Moto2 in 2024 and scored his first MotoGP championship point in the 2025 Grand Prix, while six-time WorldSBK world champion Rea boasts a record 17 race wins at the historic TT circuit.
As the factory team heads into this third championship round, Chantra and his technicians will target consistent growth, while Rea will continue to prioritise development of the 2026 CBR100RR-R race machine.
Located in the Drenthe province of the Netherlands and often referred to as the “Cathedral of Speed”, the TT Circuit Assen is fast, flowing and popular with riders because it rewards skill and precision. Measuring 4.542 km in length, it is made up of eighteen turns, the majority of which long and sweeping.
“In Portugal I scored my first WorldSBK point, but most importantly we were able to improve step by step over the course of the weekend. That was really positive for us all. Now we head to Assen, which has been a good track for me in the past and one that I enjoy a lot. It is also quite a different circuit, flatter in character, so it will be interesting to see how the CBR1000RR-R works there. We need to keep working in the same way and continue building on the progress we started to make at Portimão. The goal is to understand more, continue to improve session by session, and keep moving forward together with the team.”
“In Portugal I scored my first WorldSBK point, but most importantly we were able to improve step by step over the course of the weekend. That was really positive for us all. Now we head to Assen, which has been a good track for me in the past and one that I enjoy a lot. It is also quite a different circuit, flatter in character, so it will be interesting to see how the CBR1000RR-R works there. We need to keep working in the same way and continue building on the progress we started to make at Portimão. The goal is to understand more, continue to improve session by session, and keep moving forward together with the team.”
“Once again, I’ll be stepping in for Jake, and first I want to wish him all the best with his recovery. I’m happy to continue supporting the team and helping with the development of the CBR1000RR-R. Assen is a circuit I know very well, and after racing the bike in Portimão I now have a better understanding of it. That means we can arrive with a base setup and a clearer idea of what works. I’ve always enjoyed Assen and have had a lot of podiums and wins there over the years, also with Honda. It’s a unique track, and at this time of year the weather can always be unpredictable, so you never quite know what conditions you’ll face. The fans there are always fantastic, there are a lot of Dutch supporters, so I’m really looking forward to going back. Hopefully we can gather plenty more information, keep moving forward, and be a bit more competitive than we were in Portugal.”
“Once again, I’ll be stepping in for Jake, and first I want to wish him all the best with his recovery. I’m happy to continue supporting the team and helping with the development of the CBR1000RR-R. Assen is a circuit I know very well, and after racing the bike in Portimão I now have a better understanding of it. That means we can arrive with a base setup and a clearer idea of what works. I’ve always enjoyed Assen and have had a lot of podiums and wins there over the years, also with Honda. It’s a unique track, and at this time of year the weather can always be unpredictable, so you never quite know what conditions you’ll face. The fans there are always fantastic, there are a lot of Dutch supporters, so I’m really looking forward to going back. Hopefully we can gather plenty more information, keep moving forward, and be a bit more competitive than we were in Portugal.”
Weekend schedule (CET):
Friday
10.20 - 11.05 – SBK Free Practice 1
15.00 – 15.45 – SBK Free Practice 2
Saturday
9.40 – 10.00 – SBK Free Practice 3
11.15 – 11.30 – Superpole
15.30 – SBK Race 1
Sunday
9.15 – 9.25 – SBK Warm-up
11.10 – Superpole race
15.30 – SBK Race 2
