MotoGP - Somkiat Chantra also misses MotoGP races in Austria and Hungary

Somkiat Chantraa's rookie season in MotoGP continues to be a difficult one. Before the summer break, the LCR rider managed to score only a single World Championship point, which he achieved at the Dutch TT in Assen. It was also the last race Chantra was able to compete in.

Following the Grand Prix in the Netherlands, Chantra suffered a ligament injury in his right knee during training and required surgery. He subsequently missed the events in Germany and the Czech Republic. Even the subsequent three-week summer break wasn't enough time for the Thai rider to recover from his injury.

As the LCR team announced, Chantra was examined by MotoGP doctor Dr. Angel Charte and knee specialists on Wednesday morning in Barcelona. The result: The injury has not healed sufficiently, and Chantra is therefore unable to return to racing. He will also have to miss this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix and the one in Hungary a week later.

In Austria, the LCR team will therefore only field Johann Zarco. The team explained in its official press release that they were unable to find a qualified replacement for this race. Finally, test rider Aleix Espargaro will take over the Chantra RC213V in Hungary.

His forced break comes at the worst possible time for Chantra. His modest performances in the first half of the season have led Honda to consider signing a new rider in Chantra's place. Read more about this in this article: