Somkiat Chantra 35
In 2015, Chantra was one of the protagonists in the Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup, however his season was interrupted by an injury that led to him missing some races. In 2016, he competed in the FIM CEV Repsol Moto3 Junior World Championship and following a brilliant 9th place wildcard finish at the 2018 Thai GP, the Thai rider got his opportunity to prove himself on the World Championship scene with Idemitsu Honda Team Asia in the Moto2 class in 2019.
Chantra impressed for much of the season despite missing three dates due to injury and scored 23 points with a 9th place best result at his home GP. Despite raised expectations, in 2020 the results were not as expected. He only managed to collect 10 points throughout the season and finished 25th place in the standings. There were improvements the following year, with a fifth place finish at the Austrian GP the highlight of the year. 2022 proved a big year for Chantra, as he stunned in the Mandalika rain to claim Thailand’s first ever Grand Prix win, which he followed up two weeks later with a second place in Argentina, and then two further podiums followed in a breakout campaign. In 2023, the Thai rider would further elevate his performance, culminating in a triumphant victory at the Japanese Grand Prix. Concluding the season in sixth place, he achieved his most impressive overall result thus far.