Somkiat Chantra: Thailand’s Moto2 hero, MotoGP flop... Superbike comeback?

From MotoGP to Superbike... For redemption? Somkiat Chantra, the first Thai rider to reach the premier class of the World Championship, unfortunately proved to be a real flop. Now, however, it’s necessary to file away the decidedly disappointing season and leave it in the past. A new chapter has already begun, still with Honda, but in WorldSBK: the first taste came in recent days at Jerez with the first tests on the CBR1000RR-R, alongside new teammate Jake Dixon, formerly of Moto2. On the first day the Thai rider logged 71 laps with a best time of 1:40.285, +1.6 from leader Locatelli, while on the second and final day he again completed 71 laps with a best of 1:39.494, with a similar gap to the pacesetter Alex Lowes.

His global breakthrough came in 2022-2023. It was his 4th year in Moto2 with Honda Team Asia, and at the second GP came the first spark: the round in Indonesia delivered his first sensational world triumph! A crushing victory for “Kong,” which drew particular attention from his fans, just in the year Thailand joined the calendar. The euphoria in the Asian country grew further when he took 2nd in Argentina, then 3rd in France, and again 2nd in Austria... The historic pole position at Buriram made the jubilant crowd dream, but he had no luck in the race and ended very early with a DNF due to a crash. He nevertheless became the great hero of Thailand, confirmed by a historic 10th place in the championship. He would improve that result the following year: we saw him on the podium far less, but consistency paid off. The flashes were pole position and then victory in Japan, while the memorable moment came later right in Thailand with a historic 3rd place in the race. Two more top 10s followed, which definitively locked in an incredible 6th overall.

Further growth was expected in 2024, placing him among the top protagonists of the Moto2 World Championship. Instead, Somkiat Chantra’s fairy tale stopped: consistency still paid off, but the results were no longer as brilliant; in fact, his best finish remained a single 4th place at the Thailand GP, one of the few occasions when the podium was within reach. He then suffered a strange injury at the Indonesia GP: during the race, Aldeguer came too close when overtaking and struck his right leg hard (the footage), forcing him first to retire and then to miss two more rounds due to ankle injuries. Once he returned, he finished 4th at Buriram, followed by two more top 10s that earned him 12th overall, with a MotoGP ticket with LCR Honda already in his pocket, announced at the end of August. A premature move? Time would say yes, as confirmed by the words of teammate Johann Zarco this year, who repeatedly pointed out that Chantra was not ready for the premier class. Looking at the record: never in the points in the Sprint, he also struggled a lot in the long races, reaching the points zone in only 5 GPs, a 13th in Indonesia and four P15s. Not to forget two injuries that certainly didn’t help—especially the second, which sidelined him for four GPs.

At the end of September 2025 came confirmation of a new challenge, still with Honda but in the production-derived World Championship. In recent days, the first outing with the CBR1000RR-R: private tests, but with public times and plenty of attention for the 26-year-old Thai rider as well. A comparison with what he just left behind was inevitable. “A MotoGP bike has more electronic controls, it’s another level,” Chantra stated at the end of testing. “We need more laps, especially to sort out the setup and the electronics. We’ll see at the next test in January.” New bike, and also Pirellis, which he had only known in Moto2. “We’re happy with the progress we’ve made,” he emphasized. “I need to put in more laps on the bike and understand the tires; at times I struggled to stop the bike, but with more laps and more confidence, I think next year we can push more. We’ve found a good setup and now we just need time to move forward, one step at a time.” A comment on his country isn’t missing. “Superbike in Thailand? I’d want it already this year!” he replied, with the not-at-all hidden hope that it will happen soon. In the meantime, Somkiat Chantra has another task: to forget and make people forget the MotoGP flop, putting everything into Superbike. The challenge is on.