Somkiat Chantra will move from MotoGP to WorldSBK with Honda in 2026 alongside Jake Dixon, as Miguel Oliveira named BMW WBSK rider.
Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) is pleased to announce that Somkiat Chantra and Jake Dixon will join the Honda HRC factory team for the 2026 FIM Superbike World Championship season. Both riders are proven Moto2 race winners with extensive world championship experience. Chantra’s representation of Asian motorsport and Dixon’s European racing heritage combine to form a talented international line-up with the speed and ambition to challenge at the sharp end of WorldSBK.
Taichi Honda – HRC General Manager: “We are pleased to welcome Somkiat Chantra and Jake Dixon as factory riders of the Honda HRC WorldSBK Team from 2026. Chantra, the first Thai rider ever to win in Moto2 and to race in MotoGP, now takes an important new step within the Honda family, extending his career at the international top level as the first Thai rider to compete full-time in the Superbike World Championship as a factory rider.
“Dixon, a multiple Moto2 Grand Prix winner, has consistently demonstrated the speed and determination required to succeed in a championship as competitive as WorldSBK. Together, their talent, experience, and racing spirit will be valuable assets as we continue to strengthen our position in the series. We remain fully committed to the WorldSBK project, with a clear goal – to bring Honda back to the top of the championship.”
Somkiat Chantra (born 15 December 1998 in Chonburi, Thailand) currently competes in the MotoGP World Championship with IDEMITSU Honda LCR, having stepped up to the premier class in 2025. A graduate of the Asia Talent Cup, which he won in 2016, Chantra progressed through the FIM CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship before joining Moto2 with Idemitsu Honda Team Asia in 2019. He made history as the first Thai rider to win in Moto2 with victories at the Indonesian GP – Mandalika (2022) and the Japanese GP – Motegi (2023). He placed twelfth overall at the end of the 2024 Moto2 season with 104 points.
Jake Dixon (born 15 January 1996 in Dover, England) currently competes in the Moto2 World Championship with the Elf Marc VDS Racing Team. Runner-up in the 2018 British Superbike Championship, Dixon has established himself among the leading Moto2 riders with six Grand Prix victories: 2023 – Assen (Dutch TT) & Catalunya (Barcelona); 2024 – British GP (Silverstone) & Aragón (MotorLand); 2025 – Argentina (Termas de Río Hondo) & Americas (COTA, Austin). He counts a total of 21 podiums (including wins) and eight pole positions in the class.
Miguel Oliveira –
The factory duo for BMW Motorrad Motorsport in the 2026 FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) is complete. After signing Italian rider Danilo Petrucci, his teammate for the 2026 season has now also been confirmed: it is Miguel Oliveira from Portugal. The 30-year-old will switch from MotoGP, where he has competed for seven years, to BMW Motorrad Motorsport in WorldSBK, and will race with the BMW M 1000 RR of the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team.
Oliveira began his international career on the world championship stage as a teenager in 2011 in the 125cc class. When this was replaced by the Moto3 World Championship in 2012, he competed in that category for several years. From 2016 to 2018, he was a permanent fixture in the Moto2 World Championship before stepping up to the premier class, MotoGP, in 2019. To date, he has celebrated five wins and four further podium finishes in MotoGP. Now, Oliveira is opening a new chapter in his career: as a BMW Motorrad Motorsport factory rider in WorldSBK 2026.
At the same time, talks are being held with Michael van der Mark (NED) about continuing the collaboration in other projects. He has been a factory rider with BMW Motorrad Motorsport since 2021 and has competed with the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team since then.“Bem-vindo à família, Miguel,” says Sven Blusch, Head of BMW Motorrad Motorsport. “We are very happy to welcome Miguel Oliveira as a new factory rider for our ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team.
“Miguel has impressively proven throughout his career that he belongs to the most talented and versatile riders of his generation. With victories in all three Grand Prix classes, including five in MotoGP, he brings valuable experience and a high level of professionalism to our project. Together with Danilo Petrucci, his new teammate, he forms a strong and competitive rider duo. The two already know each other well. This constellation gives us the opportunity to take the next steps in our development and to further reinforce BMW Motorrad Motorsport’s ambitions in WorldSBK. The entire team is very much looking forward to working with him.
“But for now, our focus is on the remaining races of this season, with big goals: we want to win the world championship title again with Toprak Razgatlioglu and build on Michael van der Mark’s strong performance at Magny-Cours in order to also play a decisive role in the battle for the manufacturers’ title. Michael’s time in our WorldSBK project will come to an end after this season. I would like to sincerely thank him for his commitment, his successes and his achievements during his five years in our WorldSBK team. We are currently working on opportunities for further collaboration with him within the BMW Motorrad Motorsport family and would be delighted to move into a new future together with him.”
Oliveira says: “To join the BMW family in the World Superbike Championship is an exciting step in my career, one in which I see tremendous potential. I am becoming part of a project that is not only ambitious and competitive, but has also made a significant impact on both the championship and the motorcycle industry. Being involved with a new team, working alongside strong partners, and embracing a new championship format gives me great motivation to deliver my very best. I want to sincerely thank Mr. Sven Blusch, Technical Director Chris Gonschor and Team Principal Shaun Muir for their trust and enthusiasm. I can’t wait to begin this new chapter together.”
Other news –
Jin Nakamura signs with Hitech GP in F3 for 2026: https://www.hitechgp.co.uk/jin-nakamura-steps-up-to-fia-formula-3-with-hitech-for-2026/
[The story is as per press release]