The HRC team confirms that the two-time world champion will be absent at Lusail, where the SBK rider will join Marini: a return to the MotoGP paddock.
Joan Mir was excited about returning for the MotoGP Grand Prix in Malaysia, but over the course of the weekend it became clear that the issues that had kept him out for four Grands Prix after Misano had not been fully resolved. The wisest decision is to sit out another race and focus on making a full recovery. Honda HRC has announced that the former Suzuki rider will not take part in next weekend’s event in Qatar.
From Superbike to MotoGP: Dixon to replace Mir at Lusail
Jake Dixon, who races for the Honda HRC team in the Superbike World Championship, will take over Mir’s RC213V. His 2026 season was a difficult one, due to a pre-season injury, but his physical condition gradually improved and he ended his first year in WorldSBK on a reasonably positive note. Lusail gives him the chance to return to the MotoGP paddock, where he spent seven years between 2019 and 2025. He also made two MotoGP appearances in 2021, replacing Franco Morbidelli on the Petronas SRT team’s Yamaha M1.
Dixon, who will share the garage with Luca Marini, is excited and grateful for the opportunity: "First of all, I have to thank Honda HRC. Getting the call to ride one of these bikes is always fantastic, and I can’t wait to do it. I think every rider dreams, as a child, of racing for the official Honda team in MotoGP. It’s been a while since I last rode a MotoGP bike, so we’ll need to take the weekend calmly and go one step at a time. I want to wish Joan all the best, and I hope to see him back on the bike soon. It hasn’t been an easy year for me either, so I can really relate to him. We’ll try to make the most of this weekend".
Obviously, expectations for the British rider cannot be particularly high, as he will be making his debut on the RC213V and has a lot to learn. He will do his best while also taking care to avoid crashes that could cause further injuries.
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