Jonathan Rea returns to WorldSBK competition with wildcard appearance at Portimao

Jonathan Rea replaces injured Dixon for Honda WSBK efforts

Jonathan Rea’s return to the WorldSBK grid is the real headline for Honda HRC ahead of round two at Portimão, with the retired six-time world champion drafted back into racing duties as Jake Dixon continues his recovery from the injuries he sustained at Phillip Island. Rea, who retired from full-time competition at the end of the 2025 season before taking on a Honda test rider role, will make his first race appearance of 2026 aboard the factory CBR1000RR-R SP at the Portuguese round on March 27-29.

Jonathan Rea

It is a significant full-circle moment for Rea, who began his WorldSBK career with Honda and last raced the brand in 2014. He remains the most successful rider in championship history with 119 wins, 264 podiums and 470 starts, and Honda will be hoping some of that experience can help steady a project that has too often promised more than it has delivered. Rea already had a taste of the bike in winter testing and was back in action at the recent Portimão test, where he ended the disrupted opening day as the leading Honda rider.

Jonathan Rea

“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. In fact, the weather has been a challenge throughout the whole winter testing season. So far, we’ve only managed to complete around 50–60 laps in all, which is less than one full day of testing in normal conditions, so we still have a lot of work to do. That said, I was able to understand the level of the CBR quite quickly when I arrived. It’s already good, but there are clearly some areas where we can improve. We’re getting there gradually, and we’re giving the engineers in Japan and the team here a clearer direction to follow. Physically, my condition is much better compared to the first test we had in Jerez, where I couldn’t bend my knee enough to ride comfortably. Portimão is a very physical track, so all in all it was a good test, and I feel physically ready to keep progressing with the work.”

Somkiat Chantra is also set to return for Honda HRC, pending the final FIM medical clearance, after missing the season opener through injury. The Thai rider has been working back to fitness following surgery on both arms and used the recent Portimão test to reconnect with the CBR1000RR-R after time away, giving Honda at least one piece of encouraging news on the rider front as it heads into Portugal.

Somkiat Chantra

“It was of course good to be back on the bike and able to test, even if the weather only allowed us to complete around 40 laps. I tried to take it step by step to check how my arms were feeling. The left arm has been okay, but on the right side I still can’t move exactly as I did before and when I try to lean into the corner, I feel some pain. But I was expecting that, and it’s quite normal at this stage. I had already done some training with my CBR600RR back in Thailand, but the goal of this test was to get some proper track time and regain confidence with my racing bike and with my team. I’ll now return home and continue training; I hope to be ready for the Portimão round.”

Somkiat Chantra

But the bigger picture for Honda remains hard to ignore. This is a factory programme with the budget and resources to be fighting much closer to the front, yet the team has spent recent seasons searching for clear answers about its bike, structure and rider line-up. Budget does not seem to be an issue at all; instead, the team organisation itself has been Honda’s biggest problem during its modern WorldSBK era.

That makes Rea’s comeback more than a sentimental cameo. Honda entered 2026 needing progress after finishing 2025 with Xavi Vierge as its top rider in seventh overall, while the marque continued to trail Ducati, BMW and Yamaha in the broader pecking order. Rea’s experience gives Honda an immediate benchmark, Chantra’s return restores one half of its intended rider line-up, and all of it adds extra scrutiny to a project that simply has to show more in 2026 than it has in recent years.

Jonathan Rea

WorldSBK Championship Points

2026 Motul FIM Superbike World Championship calendar

……Date…….	Country	Circuit	WorldSBK	WorldSSP	WorldSPB
20-22 Feb	AUS	Phillip Island GP	X	X
27-29 Mar	POR	Algarve Int’l	X	X	X
17-19 Apr	NED	TT Assen	X	X	X
1-3 May	HUN	Balaton Park	X	X
15-17 May	CZE	Most	X	X	X
29-31 May	ESP	MotorLand Aragon	X	X	X
12-14 Jun	ITA	Misano – Marco Simoncelli	X	X	X
10-12 Jul	UK	Donington Park	X	X
4-6 Sep	FRA	Nevers Magny-Cours	X	X	X
25-27 Sep	ITA	Cremona	X	X	X
9-11 Oct	POR	Estoril	X	X
16-18 Oct	ESP	Jerez – Angel Nieto*	X	X	X