Kunii set for Honda HRC WorldSBK debut at Balaton alongside former teammate Chantra

23-year-old Kunii has previously raced in the Moto2 and Moto3 World Championships and currently competes in the All Japan Road Racing Championship, in the JSB1000 class, aboard the CBR1000RR-R. In joining permanent entry Somkiat in the Honda HRC garage for the upcoming WorldSBK round, Yuki will make his debut in the production-derived series.

Less than two weeks ago, Chantra was at the Dutch TT Circuit for round three, together with Honda HRC test rider Jonathan Rea, who stood in for the injured Dixon. While Rea continued with the all-important development work, Chantra was less lucky, ruled out of the races after suffering a crash in Saturday’s free practice. Fortunately, his injuries were not serious and, having had chance to rest up over the last ten days, the Thai rookie will be able to compete in this weekend’s event.

The Balaton Park Circuit is hosting WorldSBK for only the second time, after last year’s inaugural event. Officially opened in May 2023, the circuit also stages MotoGP. In its motorcycle configuration, the 4.075 km track is made up of seven right turns and ten left turns.

Somkiat Chantra

“I'm happy to have been passed fit and to be here at Balaton. It’s actually my first time at this circuit, because I couldn’t race here last year. My physical condition is better with respect to the last Assen round, and tomorrow we will see how I feel on the bike. For sure, I will try to do my best this weekend. First, I need to learn the track, and understand everything, because it is new to me. I will try to improve step by step throughout the weekend. I’d like to wish Jake all the best with his recovery, and at the same time, I welcome Yuki Kunii to the garage. I have known him a long time, since our early racing days, and we’ve been team-mates several times, including with Honda Team Asia. It is nice to work together again here because he already has a lot of experience, and together we will try our best to help the team to keep improving.”

Yuki Kunii

“First of all, I would like to wish Jake a speedy recovery and hope he can return as soon as possible. In the meantime, I would like to thank Honda HRC for this opportunity. Last year in Moto2, I could not achieve the results I wanted, so I returned to Japan this season to compete in the All Japan Road Racing Championship with the CBR1000RR-R. I’ve already scored a podium, which has helped me regain confidence. Then Mori-san (Yuji Mori – Honda HRC Team Manager) called me about this opportunity. I’m very happy because experiences like this help me grow as a rider, so I want to make the most of it. I don’t feel any pressure; I will try to understand the bike as fast as possible, because of course the bike is quite different to the one I use in Japan, and then I just want to enjoy the weekend, gain experience and do my best on track. I know the Balaton circuit because I rode here last year, so that will help. It’s a pleasure to share the garage with Somkiat too, we’ve known each other for many years. We first met in the Asia Talent Cup back in 2016, when he won the championship. Then we were team-mates for three years in the Spanish Championship, and again later, for two years, me in Moto3 and him in Moto2. So, it’s nice for us to be together again as team-mates here.”

Track information:

Country: Hungary
Name: Balaton Park
Length: 4.075 km

Corners: 10 left-hand, 7 right-hand

Pole position: left 

LAP RECORDS: Best lap – Razgatlioglu (BMW) 1'39.384 (2025). Superpole – Razgatlioglu (BMW) 1'38.357 (2025).

2025 RESULTS:

Race 1 - 1. Razgatlioglu (BMW); 2. Bulega (Ducati); 3. Bautista (Ducati)

Superpole race - 1. Razgatlioglu (BMW); 2. S. Lowes (Ducati); 3. Bautista (Ducati)

Race 2 - 1. Razgatlioglu (BMW); 2. Bulega (Ducati); 3. S. Lowes (Ducati)

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

9.20 – 9.30 – SBK Warm-up

11.10 – Superpole race

15.30 – SBK Race 2