Forward of his Qatar MotoGP return, Jake Dixon sat down with Motorsport Week to debate the twists and turns of his profession, from his breakthrough in Moto2 with Aspar to his new problem with Honda in WorldSBK.
For the primary time this season, Jake Dixon made his return to the MotoGP paddock. Following a debut season in World Superbike, the Briton was referred to as upon by Honda HRC to substitute for the recovering Joan Mir in Qatar, marking his first look within the Grand Prix paddock since departing Moto2 on the finish of 2025.
With Mir sidelined and check crew riders Takaaki Nakagami and Aleix Espargaro additionally nursing accidents, Honda certainly turned to one in every of their two WorldSBK representatives. Below the steerage of fellow countryman Cal Crutchlow – who himself stuffed in for LCR’s Johann Zarco earlier this 12 months – Dixon grew to become the only real manufacturing unit Honda rider to achieve the chequered flag following Luca Marini’s early exit from the weekend.
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Jake Dixon scored first MotoGP factors in Qatar
Regardless of a disastrous FP1 outlap on Friday, Dixon recovered nicely on Sunday to attain his first two MotoGP factors as the ultimate categorised finisher. Although an early error into Flip 1 unclipped him from the pack, he delivered a strong trip to P14, crossing the end line 12.5 seconds adrift of prime Honda rider Johann Zarco.
This end result marks his finest end within the premier class, eclipsing his two earlier outings for Petronas Yamaha SRT in the course of the 2021 season (nineteenth at Silverstone and a DNF at Aragon). His point-scoring run was nonetheless aided by a depleted area following the absence of Yamaha and Pramac, alongside mid-race retirements for Diogo Moreira and Brad Binder.
Qatar marked a return to the Grand Prix paddock for Dixon, who spent seven seasons racing in Moto2. Just a few weeks prior, in the course of the French WorldSBK spherical, Dixon mirrored on his intermediate-class tenure and the crew that formed his profession in an unique interview with Motorsport Week.
Dixon’s Aspar roots
Following a quick stint with IntactGP in Moto2 in 2017, Dixon obtained his breakthrough alternative with the Aspar Crew two years later, spending 4 full seasons with the squad throughout two separate stints (2019 and 2022 to 2024).
“I spent a very long time with them. Wanting again, maybe I ought to have remained with them for the ultimate 12 months of my Moto2 profession,” he defined to Motorsport Week referring to his transfer to Marc VDS Racing Crew in his remaining Moto2 season in 2025. “Nonetheless, that’s prior to now. I stay and study from my selections.”
The crew now fields future MotoGP rookies David Alonso and Daniel Holgado – who will step as much as the premier class in 2027 with LCR Honda and Gresini Racing, respectively. Dixon attributes Aspar’s steady expertise pipeline to the crew’s complete construction and administration.
“They function exceptionally nicely and allocate sources exactly the place they matter most. They’ve acquired their very own circuit and groups throughout all of the decrease classes,” he mentioned.
“Jorge Martínez ‘Aspar’ clearly understands the game inside out. Nico Terol, who now manages the operation, has that very same deep understanding. Gino Borsoi, [Editor’s Note: Gino Borsoi is a former Grand Prix racer turned Team Manager for Pramac, following a long tenure as Sporting Director at the Aspar Team] who’s now with Pramac, is one other excellent supervisor who really understands rider dynamics.
“He will get the perfect out of the rider, works with the rider, by no means criticises the rider, except it’s optimistic to take action. So it’s at all times confidence constructing to the rider.
“Plenty of groups fail to attain that, and that’s exactly the place Aspar excels. To me, they really feel like a second household. I maintain the crew in immense regard. They gave me my breakthrough alternative, put me on the map, and I’ll stay eternally grateful to them.”
Having established himself as a Moto2 frontrunner throughout seven seasons, Dixon navigated a paddock financial system the place monetary stability is notoriously troublesome for riders outdoors the premier class.
“The highest riders, like myself, have been incomes a strong earnings,” Dixon clarified. “In case you are within the prime 10, you may count on first rate pay, and should you rank within the prime 5, you earn dwelling.”
The WorldSBK transition
After scoring a complete of seven wins and 22 podiums, the Briton sought new horizons after a MotoGP path didn’t materialise. He due to this fact transitioned to WorldSBK at 30 years outdated, coming into a well-recognized setting because of his background within the British Superbike Championship, the place he completed runner-up in 2018.
In 2026, Dixon partnered former MotoGP rider Somkiat Chantra to race for Honda within the WorldSBK championship. There, regardless of his huge expertise in Moto2, the Dover native confronted a steep studying curve on WorldSBK equipment.
“There’s nonetheless an excellent deal that I can study,” Dixon admitted to Motorsport Week in Magny-Cours. “The bike, with its advanced electronics, is vastly completely different from Moto2, the place the setup is fairly primary and largely right down to the rider’s enter.”
“In WorldSBK, there’s a main electronics race between the groups, and we’re not in the perfect place for the time being. The truth is that merely rising monetary funding doesn’t assure immediate success. It requires time, expertise, and lots of different issues that include it as nicely.”
Dixon concluded his first WorldSBK marketing campaign nineteenth within the standings – two positions away from his teammate Somkiat Chantra, whereas Honda languished on the backside of the Producers’ championship with simply 64 factors.
“It’s no secret that Honda has been struggling for the time being,” he confirmed. “The objective was due to this fact to enhance on our current basis and to organize for subsequent 12 months to ensure we’re in place for 2027. Apart from that, there have been no preset expectations.”
Overcoming harm setbacks
Compounding the crew’s ongoing struggles, his rookie marketing campaign was additional hindered by extreme accidents sustained in pre-season testing at Phillip Island in February 2026. In Australia, Dixon suffered a violent crash that resulted in a number of fractures to his left wrist and hand. After present process emergency surgical procedure in Melbourne, the British rider was finally sidelined and missed the primary 5 rounds of the WorldSBK season.
“I’ve by no means been injured in the midst of a season, as accidents often occurred on the finish of the 12 months, after I had extra time to get better. To start out the 2026 season injured was clearly not superb. It was irritating, however that’s merely a part of racing,” he mirrored.
He tried a comeback at MotorLand Aragón in late Could, however persistent weak point and fatigue in his recovering wrist compelled him to withdraw previous to Sunday’s motion. The #96 made a profitable return to motion a few rounds later for his house race at Donington Park in July.
“My wrist won’t ever be the identical as what it was,” he accepted in September. “It’s nearly as good because it’s going to get, nevertheless it feels fairly good now.
“Although it was good to have this day off, I most likely didn’t want it, as I had been away for some time already,” he laughed.
Undeterred by an injury-plagued rookie season, Jake Dixon holds daring ambitions for his WorldSBK future with Honda.
“Victory will style even higher in WorldSBK as a result of everybody thinks that you could solely win on a Ducati.
“I’m going to show everybody improper by successful on a Honda,” he insisted. It should style good when it comes. It’s only a matter of time.
“Although it isn’t going to occur in a single day, I do imagine within the venture. Many will sit right here and criticise saying that ‘many earlier than me have believed in it and it hasn’t labored out’. However I’m a powerful believer and a powerful character. I really feel able to driving vital progress inside the crew and serving to push our growth ahead. I’ve already seen a whole lot of optimistic modifications with the arrival of our new crew supervisor, Yuji Mori, this 12 months.”
After a convincing substitute look for the manufacturing unit Honda squad, proving the calibre of the WorldSBK grid, Jake Dixon might but return to the MotoGP paddock earlier than the top of 2026 as Joan Mir and Luca Marini stay doubts for the upcoming Portimao spherical on 20–22 November.
