After missing 2026’s season-opening Australian Round, Somkiat Chantra (Honda HRC) made his MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship debut at Portimao last time out, but rotten luck struck again as he is ruled unfit on Sunday morning. The field was out on the tarmac for their first session of the day, their Free Practice 3, when with eight minutes left, as he exited the Strubben T5 hairpin, he began to lose the rear. As the bike slid out from under him, he took a spill down onto the asphalt. As his bike careened off into the grass with a shower of sparks, Chantra came to a stop on the track bringing out the red flag as marshals helped him out of the way and over to the medical centre. He was evaluated and diagnosed with contusions and a hematoma on his lower back and thigh, and after being reviewed on Sunday morning, he was ruled out of the Pirelli Dutch Round’s final day.

The field’s action continues this weekend, tune in for their Tissot Superpole session at 11:15 on Saturday with the WorldSBK VideoPass!