THANAT RETURNED WITH DOMINANT P1 SWEEP
Round 4 of the MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship 2026 officially commenced today at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit. In the MSBK600 category, the Free Practice sessions were completely controlled by Thanat Laoongplio of HONDA RACING THAILAND. Thanat delivered a flawless performance across both sessions to establish himself as the undisputed fastest man ahead of Saturday’s Qualifying.
During Free Practice 1 in the morning, Thanat quickly set the standard for the field. On his seventh lap, he recorded a time of 2’26.999s, at the top speed of 135.75kph. This effort placed him comfortably ahead of Muhd Syarifuddin Azman from Malaysia, who secured second with a 2’31.150s. Kitsada Tanachot, also from HONDA RACING THAILAND, rounded out the early top three with a solid 2’32.239s.
The afternoon session saw a massive shift in overall pace as machine setups and track feedback drastically improved. Lap times plummeted across the grid, but Thanat remained untouchable. In Free Practice 2, he shaved over fifteen seconds off his morning benchmark, clocking a blistering 2’11.544s on his fourth lap and hitting a session-high top speed of 151.70kph. This remarkable effort easily secured his position at the very top of the Combined Practice standings.
Behind the leader, the battle for the remaining spots intensified. Muhd Helmi Azman from Malaysia made a significant leap forward in the afternoon. After finishing fifth in the morning, Helmi found a much faster rhythm, posting a 2’11.991s on his tenth lap to claim second overall. Kitsada maintained his strong form, logging a 2’12.043s to secure third place. Syarifuddin took fourth with a 2’13.412s, while Ashraff Zaquan Bin Zainal Raif from HONG LEONG YAMAHA MALAYSIA pushed his way into the top five with a 2’15.239s effort.
Thanat shared, “Topping the timesheets and securing P1 in both Free Practice 1 and Free Practice 2 today was an absolutely incredible feeling. It has been quite a while since we were last here, and honestly, my heart is just so full of joy to finally be back racing at this iconic Sepang circuit. The energy here is unmatched, and being able to return and immediately jump right back into the fierce fight for the championship means the world to me.”
“We have worked so hard for this moment. Looking ahead to tomorrow’s Race 1, I am going to pour my absolute heart and soul into every single lap, pushing to my absolute limits while making sure I maintain the consistency we need. Right now, every single championship point is vital, and I will fight with everything I have to bring home the best possible result and keep our title dreams alive.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – COMBINED PRACTICE
1. THANAT LAOONGPLIO – HONDA RACING THAILAND (2’11.544s)
2. MUHD HELMI AZMAN – MALAYSIA (2’11.991s)
3. KITSADA TANACHOT – HONDA RACING THAILAND (2’12.043s)
4. MUHD SYARIFUDDIN AZMAN – MALAYSIA (2’13.412s)
5. ASHRAFF ZAQUAN BIN ZAINAL RAIF – HONG LEONG YAMAHA MALAYSIA (2’15.239s)