The Thailand Grand Prix saw Somkiat Chantra make his MotoGP debut on home soil, an “incredible” experience that added to his discovery of the category.
Although he was discreet on the track, the rookie Somkiat Chantra realized a waking dream competing in his first Grand Prix in MotoGP at home. Enough to add pressure to this weekend which was already not lacking in itself, but which gave him an unforgettable debut in the premier category. "It's incredible to ride at home, in front of my fans. It was a really great experience for me", he said with a smile on arrival.
The Chantra-mania is real! 🙌#ThaiGP 🇹🇭 pic.twitter.com/5xzc888Ae0
- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) February 28, 2025
Johann Zarco's teammate in the LCR Honda team, the Thai driver is not riding the easiest machine on the grid, the RC213V having been behind in recent seasons. However, while he was far down the rankings this weekend, he was rather close to the other representatives of the manufacturer, with only one and two tenths of a gap in FP1 and FP2. The difference was obviously made during the races, and he knows the points on which he must improve in order to gain consistency.
"I have to improve on [my understanding of] the bike, on the electronics and also learn to manage the tires in order to have a good pace on each lap", he explained to MotoGP.com. "I was able to observe a lot of drivers and compare myself to them, which allowed me to understand and adapt to the category."
19th in the sprint race and 18th in the main race on Sunday, Somkiat Chantra was able to take the measure of his physical form and concentrated to observe as best as possible Maverick Viñales and Fabio Quartararo with whom he rode at the start of the race: "Today the race was quite long, it was my first 26-lap race with a MotoGP. I am aware of whether my body is ready or not, if I have pain, if I need to improve some things. I tried to avoid mistakes."
Now he's heading to Termas de Río Hondo in Argentina, a track that has been successful for him in the past, as he secured a podium finish there in his last Moto2 race there in 2022.
Thailand Grand Prix Results :
Classification credit: MotoGP.com
