Honda was forced to change its “original plan” to sign Diogo Moreira for the 2026 MotoGP season, according to LCR Team Boss Lucio Cecchinello.
Moreira is set to make his MotoGP debut in 2026 after signing a multi-year deal with the satellite Honda team, but the Brazilian wasn’t the rider the Japanese marque had initially hoped to have on board.
Cecchinello revealed Honda had to change its initial plan to bring in Ai Ogura for the 2025 season after the Japanese rider decided to move to Trackhouse Aprilia.
Ogura won the 2024 Moto2 World Championship and had been a member of Honda’s junior team for six years before departing ahead of his title-winning campaign.
The Japanese rider had been rumoured as Takaaki Nakagami’s replacement for several years, but chose to remain in Moto2 after Honda’s struggles, and left its program altogether ahead of his Aprilia debut.
Ogura’s departure left Honda to decide whether to stick with Nakagami or to bring in Somkiat Chantra for 2025.
Cecchinello suggested it was a difficult decision for the Japanese manufacturer, who also had to consider “commercial interests” ahead of the 2025 campaign.
“Honda’s original plan was to bring Ai Ogura to MotoGP in 2025,” Cecchinello said via GPOne.
“Ogura was intended as Nakagami’s logical successor, but he had other plans.
“There was then the option of having Taka for an eighth year or giving Chantra a new opportunity.
“Sometimes, manufacturers have to consider their commercial interests alongside their motorsport program.
“That’s normal, and so Chantra was chosen in the hope that he’d quickly adapt to MotoGP.”
Lucio Cecchinello reveals why Honda gave Diogo Moreira MotoGP opportunity
Cecchinello shared that Moreira was chosen to complete Honda’s 2026 lineup after Chantra’s debut didn’t go to plan.
The Thai rider was off the pace in the early part of the season, before suffering injuries that derailed his progress.
However, Cecchinello also suggested that there could be an opportunity for Chantra to return to MotoGP should he perform in WorldSBK.
“He then developed compartmental syndrome in his arm and a knee ligament injury, which were obviously not helpful to his learning process,” Cecchinello said.
“That’s why Honda has now decided to bring Chantra into WorldSBK and Moreira into MotoGP.
“It’s not out of the question that Chantra will eventually return to MotoGP if he performs well in the WorldSBK.”
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