Somkiat Chantra reveals MotoGP solutions in Honda WorldSBK debut

Somkiat Chantra was able to make his WorldSBK debut with Honda during this week’s Jerez test (26–27 November), and he says he tried to use some elements from his time in MotoGP while working on electronics.

It was a dual-debut in the Honda HRC World Superbike box during the Jerez test, as Jake Dixon also made his first appearance on the factory Fireblade.

The British rider, moving over from Moto2 where he’d been since 2019, crashed three times during the test which he described as that start of a “massive learning curve”.

Chantra, on the other hand, progressed more steadily, ending 10th-fastest, and was able to work on electronics settings in a way he indicated was similar to that he experienced in MotoGP this season.

“The MotoGP bike and CBR1000RR-R are quite different, it’s completely different,” Somkiat Chantra told WorldSBK.com.

“I feel the MotoGP is more controlling. 

“But on a test, this time, we also tried to use the power mode and the TC and the engine brake similar to MotoGP, and also today was on a good way. 

“We need time to work on this again and we go step-by-step.”

Chantra’s overall impression from his first test was affirmatively positive, although this was a test about understanding a new championship, new tyres, and a new bike, more than it was necessarily about pushing to find peak performance.

“For me it was a really nice first test with HRC Honda,” Chantra said.

“We worked on quite many things with the team, and also on me I was trying to learn the bike and also try to learn the tyres. 

“We tried quite many laps and tried to understand everything on the bike and try everything in the correct way. Day-by-day we were really happy, we started to improve the lap time and also day-by-day we were trying something, and everything [we tried] was always a positive thing. 

“We were happy about this, and also time for the test rider also to test something and give something to us. When we tested that, also it was improving.”

Looking to the remainder of the preseason, there is still much margin for Chantra to improve his understanding of the CBR1000RR-R and the Pirelli tyres.

“Now my goal is I need to do more laps with the bike and get more feeling with the Pirelli tyres because I was quite difficult to brake, to [lean], and to stop the bike,” he said. 

“For me, now it was quite difficult. But I need to do more laps and try to have a really good confidence with the front and I think we can push more next year.”