MotoGP - Honda rethinks MotoGP strategy: Idemitsu & Somkiat Chantra out, Diogo Moreira in?

When Lucio Cecchinello entered the MotoGP class with his LCR team in the 2006 season, the seven-time Grand Prix winner initially fielded just one rider. This remained the case for many years; it wasn't until 2015 that two LCR riders, Cal Crutchlow and Jack Miller, were temporarily in the field. However, the second LCR bike didn't become a permanent fixture in MotoGP until the 2018 season, when a generous sponsor, Idemitsu, was found. Since then, that bike has always been reserved for an Asian MotoGP rider: Takaaki Nakagami for many years, and then Somkiat Chantra this season. But that could now be over.

According to Motorsport.com , Honda is currently rethinking the future direction of its MotoGP project after Chantra's performance this season has significantly fallen short of expectations. The 26-year-old from Thailand only received the LCR seat because Nakagami no longer wanted to continue as a regular rider and Moto2 World Champion Ai Ogura preferred to switch to Trackhouse and Aprilia . Since Chantra failed to seize the opportunity and no alternative Asian rider appears to be in sight for LCR, Idemitsu's commitment could now be terminated for the 2026 season.

"Honda will make the final decision," Cecchinello confirmed during FP1 of the Czech Grand Prix in the official MotoGP livestream, at least confirming some speculation. "This program was born with the goal of giving Asian riders a chance. Unfortunately, Somkiat hasn't been able to show his potential so far, and his injuries—first the arm pump problems, now his knee—have prevented him from learning much. I don't know exactly what the future holds, but that will certainly be discussed in Japan soon."

Last fall, Chantra only received a one-year contract for the 2025 season; according to Motorsport.com, an extension for 2026 is contingent on the achievement of certain performance targets. However, it's obvious that the 26-year-old from Chon Buri hasn't yet achieved them. He has finished nearly every session of the twelve Grands Prix so far as the lowest-placed regular driver, and only once has he managed to make it into the top ten, finishing ninth in FP2 at the Thailand GP.

"He's still riding in a Moto2 style," Takaaki Nakagami offered a possible explanation for Chantra's poor performances so far during his substitute appearance in Brno . "He needs to be smoother in the corners and also in his changes of direction; his timing is off. He goes into the corners too fast and misses the exit. In MotoGP, how you straighten the bike is particularly important. And he also takes too long to change direction. He needs to improve in those areas."

"He's not having an easy time at the moment," said second Honda test rider Aleix Espargaro , echoing similar sentiments at Assen. There, Chantra scored his first and so far only MotoGP point with a 15th-place finish – but only because Espargaro had waved him through on the final lap. "MotoGP is very tough, and he's not on the best bike to start his career. I hope he can improve," commented Espargaro. However, the number 35 rider doesn't seem to have much time left to do so, unless the decision has already been made against him.

If that's the case, Espargaro certainly finds it a shame. Is Chantra good enough for MotoGP? "Yes," was the unequivocal answer from the veteran rider from Granollers. "He's proven himself in Moto2. He's shown he can fight for victories and podiums there." Espargaro also recalls: "When are you good enough? Last year, at this time, everyone was talking about Sergio Garcia coming to MotoGP, but now he's not even in the World Championship anymore . There are some riders in MotoGP who took longer but are now delivering good results. I, too, was very slow at the beginning and not good enough before I came to MotoGP. Then I started winning races and fighting for the World Championship. That's always difficult to judge. Somkiat isn't in an easy position, but he's still young and doesn't have much experience." Chantra therefore deserves some more time, Nakagami agrees: "He has the speed. If he improves a few small things, his lap times will also get faster."

As already mentioned, a possible performance improvement for Chantra after the summer break could come too late. Because Honda needs reliable feedback and data from all four riders in order to close the gap to the MotoGP leaders and Ducati. The Thai rider is currently unable to provide exactly that, and there are few indications that this will change any time soon. Therefore, the idea of ​​a driver change for the 2026 season now seems to be maturing at HRC. As things stand, however, the new rider would not be an experienced rider like Miguel Oliveira, who will probably lose his Pramac seat , but a highly exciting Moto2 rising star: Diogo Moreira.

The 21-year-old Italtrans rider is currently in his second Moto2 season and had already put in some strong races at the end of 2024, but has made it into the top field in the current calendar year in particular. After four top-five results at the start of the season, he finished second on the podium at Silverstone and Aragon, and then took his first Moto2 win at Assen . And at the Sachsenring he impressed for a long time with a strong comeback before overdoing it in a duel with Jake Dixon, carelessly re-entering the track and getting into the path of David Alonso . This resulted in a collision, for which Moreira was penalized in Brno with a start from the pit lane. A big mistake for the 21-year-old, but his great talent is unmistakable.

And then there's a second factor that makes Moreira particularly interesting: his passport. As a Brazilian, he has great marketing potential and would be the only South American in the MotoGP field. This is particularly exciting given the planned return of the Brazilian GP in 2026. Trackhouse and Pramac have also been linked with Moreira in recent weeks and months, but the current trend seems to be clearly in favor of Honda. If some media reports are to be believed, HRC is said to be tempting Moreira with a three-year contract and an annual salary of 1.5 million euros, which would place Moreira at LCR in 2026 and promote him to the Honda factory team from 2027. The coming weeks will show whether this actually happens.

What do you think: Will LCR Honda choose Diogo Moreira instead of Somkiat Chantra next season? Will the Thai rider stay, or will a completely different rider be joining? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! Markus reveals what else is currently happening in the MotoGP rider market in our latest video: