Marco Bezzecchi
Jake Dixon left Grand Prix racing at the end of 2025 to race in the World Superbikes championship. His hope of a permanent MotoGP move had faded.
Dixon has raced in Moto2 for seven seasons, winning seven races and scoring 22 podiums. Since 2022, he has been statistically one of the top eight riders in the series.
The Briton made two premier-class appearances for SRT during the 2021 season in a turbulent period that saw Franco Morbidelli injured and Maverick Vinales depart.
What MotoGP rule would you like to see Liberty Media change?
But even though he has moved to WSBK, he could still appear in MotoGP in 2026.
How Jake Dixon could race for Honda’s MotoGP team next year
This year, Honda test riders Aleix Espargaro and Takaaki Nakagami combined to make eight appearances. While they predominantly raced as wildcards, Nakagami also replaced the injured Luca Marini at the Italian GP.
According to journalist Neil Morrison, who was speaking on the Paddock Pass podcast, Honda will now turn to new WSBK signing Dixon if they need a MotoGP stand-in. This will allow Espargaro and Nakagami to focus on 2027 bike development instead.
It’s significant that Honda have chosen Dixon for this role rather than teammate Somkiat Chantra, who rode for LCR last year. Chantra was the lowest-ranking full-time rider in the championship and only scored seven points.
Who is the best active rider NOT on the 2026 MotoGP grid?
At the end of last season, WSBK runner-up Nicolo Bulega filled in for the absent Marc Marquez. Honda will turn to Dixon if Marini, Joan Mir, Johann Zarco or former Moto2 rival Diogo Moreira miss any events.
“Honda have really started taking that project seriously in the last 12, 18 months,” Morrison said. “Their resources are there, they’ve got a fully test team with Aleix Espargaro and Taka Nakagami that are really experienced MotoGP riders.
“They will be fantastic at developing that package. We’ve heard that Jake Dixon is going to be the official substitute rider for their MotoGP riders if they get injured, which means that Aleix and Taka can have full focus on their next step for 2027.”
Jonathan Rea’s prediction for Jake Dixon’s World Superbikes career
There are five clashes between the MotoGP and WSBK calendars, so one would imagine Dixon would be unavailable for those weekends. Espargaro or Nakagami would probably step in instead.
Xavi Vierge finished seventh on the Honda in last year’s WSBK standings, which suggests Dixon has bagged a competitive ride. He will go up against big-name riders like Bulega, Miguel Oliveira and Andrea Iannone.
Series legend Jonathan Rea says Dixon will write ‘great stories’ in the new chapter of his career. Rea retired at the end of 2025, but there is still a strong British contingent thanks to Alex and Sam Lowes.
Receive racing news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
