Somkiat Chantra withdraws from the French Grand Prix

As the first free practice session of the weekend gets underway at Le Mans, the field is off to a standstill without Somkiat Chantra. The Thai rider was forced to retire on the eve of the French Grand Prix following surgery for compartment syndrome. Having undergone surgery for the same condition that afflicts KTM rider Pedro Acosta, Chantra hasn't recovered sufficiently, unlike the Spaniard. After a post-operative examination, doctor Xavier Mir, who performed the operation, advised the rider wearing the number 35 car to skip the Le Mans round. This is to help him recover and return to form at Silverstone in two weeks.

For its first season in MotoGP, Somkiat Chantra teams up with Johann Zarco. The Chonburi, Thailand native currently sits 23rd in the championship and is one of three riders not to have scored a goal this season. The others are Aleix Espargaró, who only entered the Spanish Grand Prix as a wild card, and Jorge Martín, who was injured before the start of the season and again after a crash at the Qatar Grand Prix, which marked his return.

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