Rising Star Somkiat Chantra Emerges as Front-Runner for 2025 LCR Honda MotoGP Seat

Surprising new candidate emerges for the 2025 LCR Honda position

Somkiat Chantra from Thailand is the most recent rider to be associated with a MotoGP seat for 2025.

As of now, Fermin Aldeguer is the sole rider confirmed to transition from Moto2 to MotoGP for the upcoming season, following the signing of a contract with Ducati.

Despite the fact that Aldeguer's team selection remains unconfirmed, Davide Tardozzi's announcement that Fabio di Giannantonio will continue with VR46, with Franco Morbidelli joining him, indicates that Aldeguer will be paired with Alex Marquez at Gresini.

However, the rider from Spain might be part of a group of Moto2 competitors moving up to the top tier, with Ai Ogura being strongly considered for a spot with Trackhouse Aprilia, Tony Arbolino being a potential fit for Pramac Yamaha, and Somkiat Chantra now being a viable candidate for LCR Honda.

Ogura was earlier rumored to be associated with LCR, aiming to inherit the Idemitsu-sponsored motorcycle from fellow Japanese rider Takaaki Nakagami. Consequently, Ogura's interest in Trackhouse appeared to alleviate the primary concern regarding Nakagami's prospects of securing an eighth consecutive season with the team.

Rumors circulating at Silverstone indicate that Chantra, who has twice triumphed in the Moto2 category, is not just a contender but potentially the frontrunner for the last RC213V spot.

"Currently, Chantra and Nakagami are the contenders for 2025," team leader Lucio Cecchinello disclosed to Sky Italia in response to the speculation.

The night before the occasion, Nakagami mentioned that his preferred option is to remain, and he disclosed that there was a scheduled meeting with Honda following the race weekend, expressing hope for "some positive news" but remaining uncertain of the outcome.

At 32 years of age, the Japanese rider finds himself ranked 20th in the championship, holding 11 points. He is closely trailing behind his Honda colleagues Johann Zarco, who has 14 points, and Joan Mir with 13 points. Additionally, he has a 10-point advantage over Luca Marini, who has only 1 point.

"Nakagami expressed his desire to remain with his current team, emphasizing that it would be unjust to judge his capabilities based on this season alone, as all four riders on the team are facing challenges, not just him."

"Having the opportunity to demonstrate my speed on an equal footing with a competitive bike and to get a sense of our standing would be beneficial. Additionally, I can contribute to the development aspect, given my extensive experience with Honda bikes. So, we'll wait and see."

Zarco's teammate and Repsol's Marini are both in their inaugural year of dual-year deals, whereas Mir has just inked a fresh two-year contract.

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