Somkiat Chantra (Thai: สมเกียรติ จันทรา;[1] born 15 December 1998) is a Thai motorcycle rider, competing in the Moto2 World Championship for Honda Team Asia.
Coming through the Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup ranks, Chantra gained fame by becoming the champion in 2016.[2] He competed in the 2017 FIM CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship, and qualified on Pole Position in the season opener, but crashed out of the race. He would finish 8th in Le Mans, 13th in Jerez, 7th in Aragon, and 10th in Valencia, finishing the season 20th overall, with 26 points. He stayed in the 2018 FIM CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship, and was a constant finisher in the high points scoring places, but could not score a podium, his season's best result a 4th place in France. He ended the year 9th in the standings, with 61 total points.
Chantra was given a wild-card race appearance as his debut in Grand Prix racing, in the 2018 Thailand motorcycle Grand Prix, his home GP. He seized his chance, crossing the line in ninth place, scoring a brilliant seven points, and earning himself a full-time ride for next season.
Riding for the newly formed Honda Asia Team in 2019, created specifically to give Asian riders a chance in Moto2 and Moto3, Chantra performed well as a rookie, scoring 23 points in the season, while his teammates Dimas Ekky Pratama, Andi Farid Izdihar, Teppei Nagoe, and Gerry Salim scored none.
Racing full time for Honda Asia Team again in 2020, Chantra struggled to reproduce what he did last season, scoring points in just two races, ending the season with 10 points. His teammate was Izdihar for the whole year, who scored no points.
Chantra had a bounce-back 2021 season, and so did the Honda Asia Team. Chantra scored 37 points throughout the year, his highest finish coming in Austria, where rookie teammate Ai Ogura came in second place, and Chantra in fifth, scoring a season-high in points for the team.[3]
In The Summer of 2024, after making a big name for himself in the intermediate class, Chantra was announced to replace Takaaki Nakagami in the LCR Honda squad for the 2025 MotoGP World Championship, being the first Thai rider ever to sign a MotoGP contract.
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
‡ Half points awarded as less than two thirds of the race distance (but at least three full laps) was completed.
* Season still in progress.