Marco Bezzecchi
Somkiat Chantra is one of three rookie riders on the MotoGP grid in 2025, yet already has left LCR Honda team owner Lucio Cecchinello surprised during the Sepang Test.
The Class of 2025 will feature three new additions from Moto2 led by the intermediate class champion Ai Ogura. Yet the Japanese rider is the only MotoGP rookie without a factory deal as he debuts for Trackhouse Racing while Chantra joins LCR on a one-year Honda contract.
Fermin Aldeguer is also graduating as a factory Ducati rider with Gresini, after signing a two-year works contract. But having a factory deal does not mean Chantra has an easy ride after finishing just 12th in the 2024 Moto2 standings with 104 points – 170 fewer than Ogura got.
Somkiat Chantra surprised LCR Honda owner Lucio Cecchinello with his pace in Sepang
Honda have placed Chantra at LCR for the 2025 season on a works contract after taking just two Grand Prix wins to date in his world championship career. Both of the 26-year-old’s wins also came in Moto2 at the 2022 Indonesian Grand Prix and at the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix.
Chantra also took just two pole positions in 105 Moto2 entries, coming at the 2022 Thailand Grand Prix and at the 2023 Japanese GP where he also set the fastest lap. So, the first Thai MotoGP rider achieving a 1:58.129 on the final day of the Sepang Test surprised Cecchinello.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Somkiat Chantra from career to height
LCR Honda owner Cecchinello admits his MotoGP crew plus the Japanese automotive giants were not expecting to see a lot of speed from Chantra at the Sepang Test. Yet the rookie was only 0.340s slower than Honda ace Luca Marini during the last of the three days in Malaysia.
“We were happy with Chantra because he continued to progress,” Cecchinello has told Sky Sport Italia. “He did a good job because he took his time without taking too many risks. We didn’t expect him to lap in a clean 1:58. We’re happy.”
Somkiat Chantra improved on each day of the 2025 Sepang MotoGP pre-season test
Chantra started off with a personal-best lap time of 2:00.299 on Day 1 of the Sepang Test as the Thai experienced Honda’s RC213V bike for only the second time. It was the 21st-fastest lap of the day out of 23, with factory star Joan Mir the quickest Honda rider with a 1:58.115.
READ MORE: Everything to know about LCR from the MotoGP team’s riders to Honda ties
LCR teammate Johann Zarco posted a 1:58.332 on Day 1 and continued to outpace Chantra throughout the Sepang Test. Mir was again the fastest Honda rider on Day 2 with a 1:57.791, ahead of Zarco (1:58.138), Marini (1:58.518) and Chantra as the rookie managed a 1:59.038.
LCR owner Cecchinello continued to see Chantra improve on Day 3, as well, as Zarco led the Honda bikes with a 1:57.204. But life is still not rosy for the Japanese squad. Mir and Marini disagree about Honda’s progress, with their bike lacking speed but improving under braking.
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