One MotoGP rookie’s injury woes continue as replacement announced

LCR Honda has announced that Somkiat Chantra will not be able to take part in the Austrian and Hungarian Grands Prix due to injury, but will only be replaced for the latter.

The Thai rider suffered ligament damage to his right knee in a training incident following June’s Dutch Grand Prix and has been absent since.

On Wednesday 13 August, Somkiat Chantra underwent checks at the Dexeus Hospital in Barcelona where he was deemed unfit to return to competition at this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix.

Due to the short-notice, LCR has not been able to secure a replacement for this weekend’s Red Bull Ring event but will field HRC test rider Aleix Espargaro at next week’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

Three-time MotoGP race winner Espargaro has already taken part in three grands prix weekends in 2025 as part of his test rider duties.

He made his racing return at the Spanish Grand Prix, where he did finish in the points but was later demoted due to a tyre pressure penalty.

He contested a second wildcard at the British Grand Prix, where he was involved in a lap one tangle with Franco Morbidelli.

Espargaro made a third start at the Dutch Grand Prix with the factory Honda squad as a stand-in for the injured Luca Marini, and finished just out of the points in 16th.

Since retiring from MotoGP and joining Honda as a test rider, Espargaro has also taken on professional cycling.

But a crash in his race debut in July left him with a broken bone in his hand.

However, he has been testing for Honda at Barcelona this week, signalling a quick recovery from his cycling injury.

LCR will be represented solely by Johann Zarco this weekend at the Austrian Grand Prix.

Injury has proven to compound what has been a miserable rookie season for Chantra, who has scored just one point this year.

His best result of 15th came at the Dutch Grand Prix prior to his knee injury, while he hasn’t qualified higher than 19th all year.

Given his struggles, there has been talk in the paddock of Honda moving away from its ethos of giving the Idemitsu-backed LCR Honda to an Asian rider for next year given the lack of competitive options.

Chantra’s signing to replace Takaaki Nakagami, who held that seat from 2018 until last year, was done on commercial grounds given the huge interest in MotoGP in his native Thailand.