Somkiat Chantra to move to WSBK with Honda after losing MotoGP ride

Honda’s management has decided to transfer Somkiat Chantra from the LCR MotoGP team to its factory squad in the World Superbike Championship, Motorsport.com can reveal.

He will join Moto2 race winner Jake Dixon in a completely revamped line-up for the Japanese manufacturer in the production-based category.

Following Takaaki Nakagami’s retirement and Ai Ogura’s move to the Aprilia stable with Trackhouse, HRC turned to Thai rider Chantra to fill the second seat at its satellite team in 2025.

The second LCR seat that Chantra currently occupies is sponsored by Japanese oil company Idemitsu, which finances the entry of riders from Asia into the championship.

The formula that enabled Nakagami to compete in MotoGP for six years hasn’t worked for Chantra, as a combination of inexperience, a challenging adaptation to the category and injuries has kept him from meeting the minimum expectations.

For Honda, as Motorsport.com previously reported, not being able to use the data from one of its four riders to develop its prototype is a bigger setback than the financial hit from losing Idemitsu's sponsorship. 

Somkiat Chantra, Team LCR Honda

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

While it rethinks how LCR will be structured next season, which will include the addition of young Brazilian Diogo Moreira to the team, Honda has already begun to make moves with its WSBK team.

The first step was securing a deal with current Marc VDS Moto2 rider Dixon,  who will leave the intermediate class and, in the absence of MotoGP offers, move to WSBK. 

The Briton will complete Honda's factory WSBK line-up alongside Chantra, following Iker Lecuona’s move to Ducati and Xavi Vierge's decision to leave Honda and accept an offer from a rival team.

Chantra, who will turn 27 on 15 December, competed in five seasons in Moto2, scoring two race wins during that period. 

In the premier class, he has completed nine races so far and has just one points finish to his name. At Assen, he was running 16th when he was let through by wildcard Aleix Espargaro into the final points-paying spot.