THANAT MASTER OF WET TRACK
Thanat Laoongplio of HONDA RACING THAILAND mastered the wet track condition at PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit to secured victory in Race 1 of the MSBK600 category during Round 2 of the MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship 2026.
Starting the race from pole position after setting the fastest qualifying lap of 2’09.688s, Thanat made a strong getaway and immediately established himself at the front of the field as light rain created a challenging wet condition race.
Behind Thanat, was Khairul Idham Pawi of HONDA RACING MALAYSIA, Farres Putra Mohd Fadhil of HONG LEONG YAMAHA MALAYSIA, and Kitsada Tanachot of HONDA RACING THAILAND exchanged positions before Kitsada moved into second place and began his pursuit of his teammate at the front.
By Lap 2, Thanat had already created a 1.520s advantage, showing impressive pace and consistency despite the difficult conditions. The Thai rider continued to increase the gap on Lap 3 after setting the fastest lap of the race at 2’24.701s, while the battle behind intensified as Muhd Helmi Azman of HONDA RACING MALAYSIA charged forward and began closing the distance to the leaders.
Helmi’s relentless pace saw him record consecutive fastest laps, including a 2’23.491s on Lap 4 and 2’23.315s on Lap 5, reducing Thanat’s advantage to just 1.540 seconds. However, Thanat remained composed at the front, carefully managing his tyres and maintaining his rhythm as the race entered its decisive stages.
The fight for the podium continued when Kitsada and Helmi traded positions, with Kitsada eventually moving back into second position on Lap 7. Despite the pressure from his teammate behind, Thanat kept control of the race and crossed the chequered flag first with a total race time of 24’04.675s.
Kitsada followed closely behind to complete a memorable HONDA RACING THAILAND one-two finish, finishing just 1.035s behind his teammate at 24’05.710s. Muhd Helmi Azman secured third place for HONDA RACING MALAYSIA with a time of 24’13.886s, while Khairul Idham Pawi and Farres Putra Mohd Fadhil completed the top five.
Thanat said, “I’m really happy to take the win today. It was a very difficult race because the track conditions were constantly changing, with some sections dry and others still wet. It wasn’t easy to find the right rhythm, so my main focus was to stay calm, manage my pace and remain consistent throughout the race.”
“I tried not to think too much about what was happening behind me. I just focused on my own riding, finding the best feeling with the bike and making sure I didn’t make any mistakes because the conditions were very tricky.”
“On the final lap, I actually thought about letting Kitsada take the victory because today is his birthday. But then I thought, maybe I should keep the points for the championship instead! I was ready if he wanted to make a move, but he didn’t overtake me, so I’m happy to keep the win.”
“It’s a fantastic result for the team, especially with a one-two finish. I want to thank everyone behind this achievement for their hard work and support. Tomorrow will be another challenge, but we will continue fighting and give our best to fight for another victory.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – RACE 1
1. THANAT LAOONGPLIO – HONDA RACING THAILAND (24’04.675s)
2. KITSADA TANACHOT – HONDA RACING THAILAND (24’05.710s)
3. MUHD HELMI AZMAN – HONDA RACING MALAYSIA (24’13.886s)
4. KHAIRUL IDHAM PAWI – HONDA RACING MALAYSIA (24’28.876s)
5. FARRES PUTRA MOHD FADHIL – HONG LEONG YAMAHA MALAYSIA (24’38.870s)