Somkiat Chantra took his first laps with the Honda RC213V during the Barcelona test. The friendly Thai rider, new to MotoGP, looked back on his experience and did not hide his emotion when climbing onto his new mount.
Stress just before driving: “Before I got on the bike, I felt so many things, I almost had a heart attack! (laughs) When I got on the bike, I said to myself: 'Okay, now we have to try to get to know the bike, what the bike does'. »
“When I started the exit lap, I tried to be a little calm on the brakes and on the accelerator. When I arrived at the last corner, I tried to go a little hard on the straight. When I was behind the bubble, it was fine. But when I braked and looked up, it was so fast! Lap after lap, I got used to it and it got better. »
The first learnings: “It was the first day on MotoGP, I was trying to understand the carbon brakes and learn how to use the tires, because it's different compared to Moto2. Also, my team always tells me to try to be careful on the left side (in Barcelona), because the tire cools down quite easily when you're on the straight. I was trying to learn how to handle the tire. »
Physically: “I had a bit of trouble, especially with my back, so during the winter I will try to work hard physically. »
