The transfer market is in full swing in the Superbike World Championship, and Honda has just announced a strategic choice for 2026. Following the moves already made at Bimota, Ducati, Kawasaki, and Yamaha, it's the Japanese giant's turn to reveal its first rider under contract for the upcoming season. And the manufacturer is drawing on the Moto2 talent pool.
Since four years, Honda enters the Spaniards in WorldSBK Iker Lecuona et Xavi VergeTheir arrival had already surprised at the time: lecuona was coming off two lackluster seasons in MotoGP, after a winless stint in Moto2, while Virgin had never done better than 10th place in the general classification of the intermediate category, despite four podiums in six full seasons.
Since his official return to WorldSBK in 2020, Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) is struggling to shine. In four seasons, the manufacturer has only achieved six podium finishes. The last victory of a Honda in the world championship dates back to Nicky Hayden in the rain of Sepang in 2016. In the dry, we have to go back to Portimão in 2014, thanks to Jonathan Rhea, to find a trace of success. As for the last world title, it dates back to 2007 with James Toseland.
Despite real technical progress since 2020, Honda remains behind the leaders in the category. Experts are still wondering whether the limit lies with the drivers or the machine.
Jake dixon
Honda WSBK bets on Jake Dixon for 2026: risky bet or stroke of genius?
« In a case like this, new blood is needed ; it's the only way to know where we stand ", the director of a rival team recently confided to speedweek.
Visibly, Honda shares this opinion and has decided to renew its workforce. For 2026, the Japanese manufacturer has bet on Jake dixon, an experienced Moto2 rider but still a novice on big machines and their sophisticated electronics.
The English of 29 years was long touted for MotoGP without the opportunity materializing. Throughout his Moto2 career, Dixon has claimed six wins, 19 podiums and eight pole positions. He has successively finished 6th, 4th and 8th in the world championship since 2022, and currently sits 4th behind the Spaniards Manuel Gonzalez et Aron canet, as well as the Brazilian Diogo Moreira.
By recruiting Dixon, Honda hopes to inject new momentum and perhaps finally close the gap with the WorldSBK heavyweights, like Jonathan Rhea (Kawasaki), Alvaro Bautista et Nicholas Bulega (Ducati), or even Toprak Razgatlioglu (Yamaha and now BMW).
The question remains: Dixon will he succeed in being the providential man who will replace Honda on the top step of the podium?
