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| Somkiat Chantra to Miss German and Czech MotoGP Rounds Due to Knee Injury After Off-Road Crash. |
Thai MotoGP rider Somkiat Chantra will miss the next two rounds of the 2025 MotoGP season—the German Grand Prix at Sachsenring and the Czech Grand Prix at Brno—after suffering a knee injury during an off-road training accident earlier this week.
Chantra, who recently made headlines by scoring his first-ever premier class MotoGP point at Assen last Sunday, was involved in a crash while riding an off-road motorcycle on Tuesday. The incident caused damage to the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) in his right knee, a type of injury that requires surgical intervention.
The Moto2 race winner is scheduled to undergo surgery next Tuesday at Hospital Universitari Dexeus in Barcelona. As a result, he will be sidelined for both the German and Czech races scheduled for July 18–20, 2025.
Fortunately, the MotoGP calendar will enter a summer break after the Czech round, giving Chantra some much-needed recovery time before the Austrian Grand Prix in mid-August. His return could potentially align with that event, depending on the success of his surgery and rehabilitation progress.
As of now, LCR Honda has not officially confirmed a replacement rider for the upcoming rounds. However, two names have already been active within Honda’s racing structure this season—Aleix Espargaro and Takaaki Nakagami.
Espargaro recently made an appearance at the Assen GP, filling in for Luca Marini. That was his third Grand Prix weekend of the year. Nakagami, a former LCR Honda rider, also made a notable comeback earlier this season by securing a sixth-place finish as a wildcard entry during a rainy race weekend at Le Mans.
What This Means for Chantra and LCR Honda
Somkiat Chantra’s injury comes at an unfortunate time, especially after such a historic milestone for Thai motorsports. While it’s a setback for both the rider and the team, the timing of the summer break offers a valuable opportunity for recovery.
Fans will be keeping a close eye on updates regarding Chantra’s condition and who will take his place during the German and Czech rounds. More details are expected to be announced by LCR Honda in the coming days.
Stay tuned for more updates on MotoGP injuries, team changes, and race schedules as the 2025 season continues to unfold.
