There have been recent rumours that Takaaki Nakagami could be replaced at LCR Honda by Somkiat Chantra.
With Ai Ogura set to join the Track House Aprilia team, it looked as though Takaaki Nakagami would remain at the LCR Honda team in 2025. However, Lucio Cecchinello has since revealed that Somkiat Chantra could ride for the LCR team next year.
At Silverstone, there was speculation that Chantara could be on his way to MotoGP in 2025. The two-time Moto2 winner, who rides for Idemitsu Honda Team Asia, had not been in MotoGP contention until recently. The Thai rider currently sits 11th in the Moto2 championship, with his best result this season being fifth.
“Ogura was Honda HRC’s first choice, and now I know they are dealing with Nakagami and talking to Chantra,” said Cecchinello. dazenBefore he determined his ideal candidate: “Normally, the knight who would fill this spot would have to be a Nakagami or an Asian knight.”
In 2018, Nakagami joined the LCR Honda Idemitsu team. The Japanese rider remained with the team for seven years and his best result in the championship was tenth place in 2020. Nakagami currently sits 20th in the 2024 standings with 11 points, three points behind Johann Zarco and two points behind Joan Mir.
“My first plan is to stay with the same team and continue because honestly it’s not fair to decide my potential this season because all four riders are suffering, not just me,” Nakagami said.
“It would be good to have a fair chance to show my speed on a competitive bike and understand the situation we are in. I can also help on the development side and I have a lot of experience with Honda bikes. So let’s see.”
