Jake Dixon said Cal Crutchlow encouraged him to take confidence from finishing 14th for Honda as a stand-in at the Qatar Grand Prix.
Honda brought in Dixon, who races for the manufacturer in World Superbike, to replace Joan Mir for the weekend at Lusail. It was Dixon’s first MotoGP start since 2021 and his first for Honda.
In comments reported by Crash.net, Dixon said Crutchlow, who had ridden the Honda earlier in the season, praised how quickly he adjusted. Dixon said the weekend made him think he could compete farther up the field if he had more time on a MotoGP bike.
Sources: Dixon’s post-race comments and MotoGP’s rider announcement.
Jake Dixon at a British Superbike test in Cartagena in 2017 (archive). Photo: Darren Garlick, CC0. Resized.
