LCR Honda has announced that Somkiat Chantra will miss both the Austrian and Hungarian Grands Prix due to injury, but a replacement will only be arranged for the Hungarian race. The Thai rider has been sidelined since sustaining a ligament injury to his right knee during training after the Dutch Grand Prix in June.
On August 13th, Chantra underwent a medical evaluation at Barcelona’s Dexeus Hospital, where it was confirmed that he is not fit to compete in this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix. Due to the short notice, LCR Honda couldn’t find a substitute rider for the Red Bull Ring event, but HRC test rider Aleix Espargaro will take his place at the Hungarian Grand Prix next week.
Espargaro, a three-time MotoGP winner, has already participated in three Grand Prix weekends in 2025 as part of his test rider duties. He returned to racing at the Spanish Grand Prix, finishing in the points before being penalized for tire pressure violations. He also took part as a wild card at the British Grand Prix.
Espargaro made his third start at the Dutch Grand Prix, racing alongside the Factory Honda team in lieu of the injured Luca Marini, finishing 16th. Since retiring from MotoGP and becoming a Honda test rider, Espargaro has also pursued professional cycling but suffered a broken hand in his racing comeback in July. He is currently testing Honda machinery in Barcelona and appears to be recovering quickly from his cycling injury.
For the Austrian Grand Prix, LCR Honda will be represented solely by Johann Zarco. Chantra’s injury compounds what has already been a tough rookie season, as he has scored only one point this year. His best finish was 15th at the Dutch Grand Prix before his knee injury, having missed over 19 race days this season.
Given Chantra’s struggles, Honda appears to be reconsidering its approach to fielding Asian riders under the Idetzitz-backed LCR Honda team next year due to the lack of competitiveness. Chantra was signed to replace Takaki Nakagami, who served from 2018 to last year, mainly for commercial reasons, especially due to the strong MotoGP following in Thailand.
Fan Take: This news is significant for racing fans as it highlights the ongoing challenges teams face with rider injuries and the impact on competitive lineups. With test riders like Aleix Espargaro stepping in, we might see shifts in team dynamics and performance that could reshape the MotoGP season and future talent strategies.
