Somkiat Chantra can barely contain a beaming smile as he prepares to make history as Thailand’s first MotoGP rider this week and all in front of his home fans.
The 26-year-old is to debut on Sunday at the season-opening MotoGP Thailand Grand Prix at Buriram, the first rider from the country to line up in the premier class.
“It’s amazing, it’s like a dream come true,” Somkiat said, admitting to some trepidation ahead of riding in front of a passionate home crowd, starting with practice on Friday.
Photo: AFP
“I cannot imagine [the pressure] in Buriram on the first race,” he said.
Known by his nickname “Kong” in Thailand, Somkiat is to saddle up alongside French teammate Johann Zarco for Honda LCR.
Zarco said he was looking forward to helping Somkiat ease into his rookie season.
Photo: AFP
“I’m getting to know him. He’s really interesting; you can feel he’s very eager,” said Zarco, who at 34 is the oldest rider on the grid this season. “It brings me so much joy when I can give a few tips and see that he applies them so quickly.”
Official testing in Malaysia and Thailand earlier this month illustrated the big step-up from Moto2 that Somkiat needs to make if he is to compete at the top level.
His lap times were among the slowest at the two circuits, with a best session placing of 17th, but after his final run at Buriram, he said he was “99 percent” happy with his bike.
Somkiat joined Honda’s special pathway for young Asian talent at the age of nine and was chosen by the team to replace Japan’s Takaaki Nakagami, who lost his MotoGP seat after seven years without a podium.
However, the Thai rider remains relatively unproven with only two victories in six years racing Hondas in the second-tier Moto2, where he spent most of last season battling in the midfield to finish 12th in the standings. He did finish last year with a flourish, securing two podium finishes in his final two races.
Twenty-four-year-old Moto2 champion Ai Ogura of Japan and Spanish 19-year-old Fermin Aldeguer, who was fifth in the standings, are also embarking on their first MotoGP seasons and are to battle for Rookie of the Year honors with the Thai.
Somkiat is regarded as old for a rookie in a sport where MotoGP teams prefer to look for younger riders making a mark in the lower categories.
Zarco also debuted at the age of 26, although the Frenchman by then had two consecutive Moto2 world championships under his belt.
Honda LCR team manager Lucio Cecchinello said he is happy with his pairing for this season and clearly believes Somkiat has the potential to be quick at the highest level.
“I always support this kind of situation, I really like to have an experienced rider, and also a young rider,” he said.
“You can have the assurance of an experienced rider ... he can deliver the result,” he said. “With the rookie, you are preparing the future. It’s a very good balance, both of them represent a good combination.”
Somkiat is only the second rider from Southeast Asia to reach MotoGP, after Malaysia’s Hafizh Syahrin, who rode for Monster Energy Yamaha in 2018 and Red Bull KTM in 2019. The CEO of MotoGP rights holders Dorna Sports, Carmelo Ezpeleta, has said that is an anomaly for a region that is a major motorbike manufacturing hub and where motorcycle racing is hugely popular.
In Thailand, the passion for two-wheelers is part of daily life with millions using some form of motorbike every day.
This week they would lap up the chance to cheer one of their own going up against superstars such as Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia for the very first time.
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