Joan Mir's withdrawal from the Qatar Grand Prix is now confirmed , forcing the official Honda team to reshuffle its lineup for the Losail round. Suffering for several months from a mysterious ailment marked by dizziness and vision problems—symptoms that had already forced him to retire from the feature race in Malaysia and miss several events this summer—the 2020 world champion has been forced to withdraw. With Takaaki Nakagami unavailable, the Tokyo-based manufacturer has opted to call upon Briton Jake Dixon to ride their machine.
Jake Dixon's words of enthusiasm and empathy
Having risen through the ranks of the World Superbike Championship with the Japanese manufacturer, the British rider fully appreciates the opportunity he has been given while also sending his best wishes to his recovering colleague. “ First and foremost, I want to thank Honda for this opportunity. Getting the call to ride one of these bikes is always an incredible moment, and I'm really looking forward to it. I think every rider dreams of riding for the Honda factory team in MotoGP from a very young age. It's been a while since I've ridden a MotoGP bike, so I need to take it easy this weekend and take it one step at a time. I wish Joan a speedy recovery and hope to see him back in the saddle soon . This year hasn't been easy for me either, so I completely understand what he's going through.”
The #QatarGP will see @jakedixonracing step in for the still recovering @JoanMirOfficial.
The @hrc_worldsbk regular will make his return to the @MotoGP paddock this weekend. Wishing Mir all the best as he continues to focus on returning to full fitness. pic.twitter.com/P26ockP6e7
— Honda HRC Castrol – MotoGP (@HRC_MotoGP) November 5, 2026
A one-off return to the top category
This surprise replacement presents a rare opportunity for the Southampton rider to return to the pinnacle of world motorcycling. Dixon is not entirely new to the sport, having already competed in two MotoGP races during the 2019 season with the Petronas SRT Yamaha team , achieving a best result of 19th place on home soil at Silverstone. This stint in the Middle East, however, promises to be demanding for the Englishman, who will have to adapt to the Japanese prototype after a year marred by injuries in Superbike.
Summary of key issues and events:
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Mir's withdrawal confirmed: Still suffering from vision problems and recurring vertigo which forced him to retire at Sepang, Joan Mir is withdrawing from the Qatar Grand Prix.
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Jake Dixon called in as reinforcement: The Honda WorldSBK rider replaces the Spaniard and realizes his dream of riding for the HRC factory team in MotoGP.
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A precedent in 2019: The Briton already has two starts in the premier category during the 2019 season with Petronas SRT Yamaha, marked by a 19th position at Silverstone.
Do you think Jake Dixon will manage to score points on the factory Honda this weekend in Qatar? Let us know in the comments!
Cover photo: Honda MotoGP
