The countdown has begun for Somkiat Chantra. Having arrived in MotoGP with the hope of becoming Honda's Asian flagship, the Thai rider is having a nightmare season. So much so that HRC appears ready to abruptly turn the page... even if it means sacrificing a strategic partnership with its longtime sponsor, Idemitsu.
Only ten races. That's all it took for the management of Honda in Tokyo takes a radical decision: Chantra will no longer be part of the MotoGP project in 2026. Officially, the announcement has not yet been made. But behind the scenes, negotiations with his likely replacement, the Brazilian, are underway. Diogo Moreira, are already well advanced.
Honda did not expect miracles. But the results of Chantra surpasses all worst fears. Second to last in the standings, he scored only one point – solely thanks to the generosity ofAleix Espargaro, test pilot, who gave him a position at AssenHis pace is catastrophic, his gaps on the track are abysmal, and his contribution to the development of the RC213V… non-existent.
Fate did not spare him either. Chantra has already had forearm surgery and tore ligaments in his right knee during training, which has kept him away from the circuits Sachsenring and BrnoHis return is planned for the end of the season, but his fate is already sealed.
For Honda, the equation is simple: run with Chantra, it's like having only three motorcycles on the grid. A luxury that the HRC, in full reconstruction, can no longer afford it.
Idemitsu contract in the hot seat as Diogo Moreira is Honda's new priority
The problem is that Chantra is not just a rider, it is also a contractual condition. His place in MotoGP stems from an agreement with idemitsu, the Japanese oil company that finances the satellite team's second motorcycle LCRAnd this agreement is clear: the pilot must be Asian.
From the time of Takaaki Nakagami, the formula worked. But today, Idemitsu's support is becoming a straitjacket. And Honda is no longer prepared to tolerate it.
Lack of a competitive alternative on the Asian side – the defection ofAi Ogura toward Aprilia having cut the grass from under the HRC's feet – Honda changes course. And now bets everything on Diogo Moreira young Brazilian talent, for 2026. A promising profile, but not in line with Idemitsu's requirements.
The message addressed to idemitsu is unequivocal: the project LCR will be done with Moreira, or not at all. In other words, Honda is ready to break a historic partnership to exit Chantra of the equation. A symbolic as well as strategic break.
The presence of Chantra, initially perceived as a gamble on regional representation, is now experienced as a technical burden. The Thai driver does not provide any useful data, slows down development work, and even damages the brand's image in the sporting field.
Barring an unlikely turnaround or a series of injuries in the paddock, Somkiat Chantra will not participate in the 2026 season in MotoGPThe curtain is falling, with a typically Japanese coldness: without fanfare, but without appeal.
And in this maneuver, Honda also sends a strong signal: the era of choices imposed by partners is coming to an end. From now on, only performance will dictate the law in the box. MotoGP. Even if it means breaking a few alliances along the way.
