British rider Jake Dixon is a newcomer not just to his Honda HRC garage, but to the entire MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship as he prepares for his rookie season in the category. Dixon made the jump to the WorldSBK paddock this offseason after seven seasons in Moto2, finishing within the top eight in the Riders’ Championship in each of the last four seasons. He participated in both days of the recent test at Jerez, making the most of the limited running due to rainy weather, taking P13 on the combined timesheets.

CHOMPING AT THE BIT: “I’m so motivated and excited. He brings so much life to everyone in the team”

Dixon seems to be fitting in nicely with his new surroundings with the Japanese manufacturer’s team. He and fellow incoming rider Somkiat Chantra are a breath of fresh air, and the team hopes they will be able to continue the upwards trajectory shown by their former rider pair of Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) and Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha). Further spurring the team forward, Honda HRC completed the signing of the recently retired six-time World Champion in a test rider capacity, bringing a wealth of experience to the team as they hope to continue developing their CBR 1000RR-R SP.

Speaking about Rea’s arrival, Dixon said with a beaming smile: “First and foremost, what a great signing for Honda! I think it’s a feather in their cap to get such a great Champion onboard, with so much experience. I know him well anyway. To have him in my corner, and Nagashima as well, is fantastic. It’s almost ammo for us. It’s not going to transform overnight, but throughout the season, we are definitely going to get stronger, and honestly, I’m so motivated and excited. He brings so much life to everyone in the team as well and the test team are great.”

RAIN OR SHINE: “Far from an ideal situation, but I feel a lot more comfortable than I did in November with the upgrades we’ve got in terms of chassis

Dixon is perhaps more affected than most on the grid, as he not only has a testing regimen that includes new parts and electronics setups, but also has to get back up to speed atop a superbike in general. He last competed on a superbike back in 2018 in BSB, meaning the machinery is not completely foreign to him, but with tests like Jerez that only allowed him 46 laps across the two days, he will hope for an opportunity for a more comprehensive shakedown.

Discussing his limited running at Jerez, the #96 added: “It was less than ideal! Wednesday was a complete washout, only doing 16 laps. It was good as I needed to ride a little bit in the rain. From one exit to another, I felt much more comfortable. I had my first wet laps, and then we were only able to get a couple of hours on Thursday before it started raining. It’s a little bit frustrating, being a rookie coming into World Superbike and I need time and we need time because we have new parts this year that we need to get through and keep testing. Far from an ideal situation, but I feel a lot more comfortable than I did in November with the upgrades we’ve got in terms of chassis.”

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