Jake Dixon Drafted to Replace Joan Mir in QatarGP
The British WorldSBK star will make his return to the premier class, stepping in for Joan Mir as the Spaniard recovers from a punishing weekend in Malaysia.
Honda HRC Castrol has officially called upon WorldSBK rider Jake Dixon to pilot the RC213V for the remainder of the MotoGP season, stepping in as a replacement for the injured Joan Mir.
Mir is currently continuing his recovery after being forced to withdraw from Sunday’s grueling PETRONAS Grand Prix of Malaysia, prompting Honda to look to their Superbike stable for premier-class reinforcement.
For the 30-year-old Dixon, the call-up marks a return to familiar territory. The Briton spent seven years grinding in the Grand Prix paddock from 2019 to 2025, amassing an impressive seven victories and 22 podiums in the intermediate class. He is also no stranger to MotoGP machinery, having made two premier-class starts in 2021, securing a best finish of 19th in front of his home crowd at Silverstone.
Dixon's 2026 WorldSBK campaign has been a massive test of resilience, heavily complicated by injury. However, a ferocious return to fitness in the latter half of the season saw him secure five top-ten finishes aboard the factory CBR1000RR-R SP.
"First of all, I have to say thank you to Honda HRC for this opportunity," Dixon stated upon his confirmation. "Getting the call to come ride one of these bikes is always mega and I am looking forward to it. I think every rider dreams of racing for the Honda factory team in MotoGP when they're a kid."
Aware of the steep learning curve, Dixon is adopting a pragmatic approach. "It's been a little bit since I last raced a MotoGP bike, so we need to take the weekend steady and go step by step. Let's make the most of this weekend."
The Briton also expressed his solidarity with the sidelined Mir. "I want to wish Joan all the best and I hope to see him back on the bike soon. It hasn't been a straightforward year for me either, so I sympathize a lot with him."
With just three races remaining on the calendar, the Honda HRC Castrol squad is refusing to take their foot off the gas. The team remains completely focused on closing out the current campaign with momentum before officially kicking off a new era at the highly anticipated Valencia post-season test on Tuesday.
Credit Photo : HRC
