Thai rider Somkiat Chantra leads Moto2 as practice opens at the Indian Grand Prix
The Indian Grand Prix opened a new chapter for Moto2 at the Buddh International Circuit, where Thai rider Somkiat Chantra, riding for Kalex, established himself among the top contenders in the opening free practice. His best lap time stood as 1:52.596, signaling a strong start for the session and setting a clear benchmark for the rest of the field.
Moments later, the session delivered its share of drama. Spaniard Sergio García Dols and Italian Celestino Vietti both experienced a heavy fall at the first corner, sending Vietti airborne and leaving his Kalex lying on the track as the clock read about 51 minutes into what extended the first practice due to the interruption. The session continued with riders pushing to learn the new flow of the Indian circuit under still evolving conditions.
Ai Ogura of Japan, also aboard a Kalex, briefly set the fastest time, clocking 1:56.134 to claim the early lead. His lap was notable for a tight moment between Turns 8 and 9, when he steered carefully to avoid a fall, taking advantage of escape routes to stabilize the machine. Yet this lead was short-lived as other riders soon surpassed him, and Chantra re-emerged as a key reference with a lap of 1:53.906, marking a competitive shift in the early phase of the session.
As the laps continued, teams and riders adapted to the unique demands of the Buddh circuit. Chantra continued to push, delivering another sequence of fast laps that demonstrated the evolving balance between speed and stability. His efforts yielded times of 1:53.813 and 1:53.781, underscoring his status as the rider to beat among the field as the day progressed and traffic intensified on the track.
In the latter stretch of the first practice, Chantra moved ahead again, with Italian Tony Arbolino chasing closely. Arbolino, a principal rival to championship leader Pedro Acosta, held a position near the top but remained behind the pace set by Chantra in the closing minutes. He eventually settled within the upper portion of the timesheets, having started the final twenty minutes in a strong position. The dynamic of the session reflected the close proximity of the top riders as the clock counted down, with teams evaluating setup options and tire strategies for the evolving track conditions.
With the final moments approaching, Acosta, Ogura, Jake Dixon, Arbolino, and Chantra formed a tight group at the front. The competition intensified as riders attempted to squeeze out every last hundredth of a second. In the end, Somkiat Chantra again topped the board with a best time of 1:52.596, a significant improvement that marked him as a primary reference for the rest of the season. Pedro Acosta and Ai Ogura were not far behind, with Ogura ultimately securing a strong result in fourth place after a late lap. The session concluded with a spread of results that placed the top ten riders in a blend of diligence and daring, including Jake Dixon, Filip Salač, Tony Arbolino, Manuel González, Joe Roberts, Dennis Foggia, and Sam Lowes, all within striking distance of the leaders.
The opening free practice thus set the tone for the weekend ahead. Track conditions at the Buddh circuit demanded careful balance between grip and entry speeds, while the riders gathered data to guide their setups for qualifying and the race itself. The interplay of risk and reward was evident as the field maneuvered through the early laps, with Chantra’s pace establishing him as a benchmark for teams and riders aiming to optimize performance on this challenging track.