From MotoGP to Superbike, winter training is always a risk for riders, and in this early part of the season, Fermin Aldeguer and Somkiat Chantra have paid the price. The Spaniard from the BK8 Gresini Racing team suffered a fracture to the diaphysis of his left femur, while the Thai rider from the Honda HRC team suffered a fracture to his right forearm.
Chantra was involved in an accident at the Sepang International Circuit while riding a standard Honda CBR1000RR. After being taken to hospital in Kuala Lumpur for initial checks, the rider returned to Thailand for further tests. Honda then announced that on Saturday, January 17, he underwent successful surgery on both arms at Bangkok Hospital.
His right arm was put in a cast, while his left arm didn't require one. In its official statement, the Japanese manufacturer said that updates on his recovery time would be provided in due course. Chantra will certainly miss the Superbike test scheduled for Jerez on January 21-22 and is unlikely to be able to participate in the next one in Portimao (January 28-29). It remains to be seen whether he will be able to return to his CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP at Phillip Island, the venue for the final pre-season test (February 16-17) and the first round of the 2026 World Superbike Championship (February 20-22).
With this in mind, Honda could consider a temporary replacement: Chantra might be replaced by six-time Superbike world champion Jonathan Rea, who, after retiring, joined Honda HRC as a test rider this year and is therefore a viable option for testing and possibly also for the first round of the season, should the Asian rider not recover in time.
Another alternative is Ryan Vickers, a Honda Racing UK team rider in BSB who already competed in the World Superbike Championship in 2025, when he rode the Motocorsa Racing team's Ducati Panigale V4 R.