Jake Dixon (Honda) had a lightbulb moment: “I’ve understood my role”

With tests at Magny-Cours and Estoril, the Honda Racing Corporation works team broke up the long summer break in the 2026 Superbike World Championship. For Jake Dixon, the two-day tests were particularly instructive – and not just in terms of getting to know the layout of the circuits, which were new to him.

Following his protracted hand injury at the start of the season (a crash during the Phillip Island test), the Englishman had only competed in the rounds at Aragon and Donington Park – however, on his racing debut at MotorLand, Dixon pulled out of the Superpole race and the second race on Sunday due to pain. As a result, the father of a young daughter has only competed in four races this year.

The fact is: with eight of the twelve rounds of the season now complete, the 30-year-old has hardly any riding experience on the CBR1000RR-R. Added to this are the complex possibilities offered by the electronics, where the interplay between anti-wheelie control, engine braking and torque is what makes a set-up perfect.

Furthermore, this is Dixon’s first time riding for a works team, and he is expected to set the direction for development. “One thing that has become clear to me since my move is that you play a different role when testing,” the Honda works rider recently realised. “It’s not just about doing laps and setting a fast lap time, but about understanding whether something is better or worse. I’d never really done that before and had to get used to it first.”

It was a role that Dixon had to grow into. “I feel that I’ve really embraced this role – particularly during the Estoril test and even before that. I think that will benefit us for the rest of this year and next year,” Dixon hopes.

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Magny-Cours: 1. Freies Training

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04.09.2026 - 10:15