THANAT MASTERED WET CHAOS

Treacherous wet conditions set the tone for a dramatic MSBK600 Race 1 at Round 1 of the 2026 MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship, as Thanat Laoongplio of HONDA RACING THAILAND delivered a controlled and commanding ride to take victory at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit.

Run in heavy rain on a fully wet track, the race demanded precision and bravery from the start. Thanat quickly asserted control off the line to lead, with Malaysia’s Khairul Idham Pawi slotting into second and teammate Kitsada Tanachot in third. Muhd Naqib Rifqi Zulhelmi and China’s He Jun Peng completed the top five.

By Lap 2, Khairul, known as the ‘King of Rain’, closed rapidly on Thanat, but worsening weather conditions triggered a red flag for safety.

After a restart over a shortened 7-lap sprint, Thanat once again led the field into Turn 1, with Kitsada second and Khairul briefly third before reclaiming second through a decisive move at Turn 7. The battle for victory immediately intensified as Khairul stayed glued to Thanat’s rear wheel.

Thanat responded with strong pace, setting a fastest lap of 2’30.213s on Lap 3 and improving to 2’28.797s on Lap 4 to stretch a small gap. Khairul, however, refused to back down, keeping the pressure high throughout.

On Lap 6, Thanat delivered a standout 2’18.340s lap, and heading into the final lap, he found another gear to extend his advantage to 1.266s, enough to seal the win.

Thanat crossed the line in 17’29.361s for a hard-fought victory. Khairul finished second at 17’30.711s after a relentless chase, while Kitsada secured third in 17’41.652s.

Thanat shared, “Today was difficult from Qualifying, but in the wet race I felt confident. I tried to stay consistent with my lap times and pushed when I saw the opportunity, with the aim of winning the race. Overall, I feel very happy, and tomorrow we will try to win again in Race 2.”

TOP 5 FASTEST – RACE 1

1. THANAT LAOONGPLIO – HONDA RACING THAILAND (17’29.361s)

2. KHAIRUL IDHAM PAWI – MALAYSIA (17’30.711s)

3. KITSADA TANACHOT – HONDA RACING THAILAND (17’41.652s)

4. MUHD NAQIB RIFQI ZULHELMI – MALAYSIA (17’48.121s)

5. HE JUN PENG – CHINA (18’52.534s)