Jake Dixon left Cremona with a broad smile. The Englishman secured his best WorldSBK result of the season, finishing ninth in Race 1, repeating it in the Superpole Race, then capitalising on incidents ahead to claim sixth in the final outing. It was Honda's best weekend of the 2026 season so far.
Dixon arrived at Cremona with only one points finish from an injury-interrupted rookie campaign. But he left with 23 points, climbing to 19th in the standings, seven ahead of teammate Somkiat Chantra. “It was really good,” Dixon told WorldSBK.com. “I said on Saturday we just needed a better grid position. I was fortunate in the Superpole Race to get ninth.”
The former Moto2 title contender admitted that the final race result was a bit lucky. “I got a bit lucky in the sense that some people went down. Realistically we were probably seventh or eighth. We overachieved on Sunday,” he added. Nevertheless, he stressed that this was a big win considering Honda's season.
Honda is indeed working hard to improve the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade. Dixon revealed that the test team is pushing hard, and Jonathan Rea, now a superstar test rider, continues to drive the Japanese manufacturer forward. “The test team have been testing a lot. I know they're out in the next week or so, trying to go through some things that I have to wait for,” Dixon said. “Jonny's working hard, doing a really good job, and the UK test team are doing an amazing job, and also in Japan.”
Rea, with his vast experience, is said to be quite hard on Honda. “He texted me a minute ago, saying it was a really good job and to go step by step. He's been quite hard on them, which is good, because the only way we'll get stuff done is by being hard and direct,” Dixon said.
Dixon missed the opening five rounds after suffering hand injuries in pre-season testing at Phillip Island. He has now climbed above Chantra as Honda's leading full-time rider. Chantra will switch to MotoGP duties at Motegi this weekend, after finishing 13th in all three Cremona races.
With developments in the pipeline, Dixon hopes Honda can continue to improve. “I completely used everything we had underneath us. It feels like quite a big win considering what Honda's been able to do this year. They're working hard in the background to understand how we can move forward,” he concluded.
Baca Juga
Claudio Domenicali memuji musim dominan Nicolo Bulega di WorldSBK 2026. Juara dunia itu menang 26 dari 30 balapan dan akan pindah ke MotoGP bersama VR46.
CEO Ducati Claudio Domenicali menyatakan Franco Morbidelli 'paling mungkin' menjadi pembalap Ducati WorldSBK 2027, mendampingi Iker Lecuona.
Nicolo Bulega juara WorldSBK 2026 dengan dominasi 26 kemenangan. Bos Ducati Stefano Cecconi mengaku lega dan yakin Bulega siap ke MotoGP.
Lanjutkan dengan Google
Diskusi & Komentar (0)
Mari Bergabung dalam Diskusi!
Masuk dengan mudah untuk mulai memberikan komentar, membalas, dan berinteraksi dengan pembaca lainnya.
Komentar Terbaru
Belum ada komentar. Jadilah yang pertama!