Jake Dixon “annoyed” despite first MotoGP points on HRC debut
Jake Dixon celebrated his first MotoGP points at Qatar, five years after his previous appearance, but was left "annoyed" by an early race mistake.
Jake Dixon scored his first MotoGP points in Sunday's Qatar Grand Prix, five years after his last premier-class appearance.
Drafted in to replace Joan Mir at the factory HRC team, Dixon lined up on the back row of the depleted 16-rider grid, then promptly overtook Franco Morbidelli and Maverick Viñales at the start.
Dixon remained ahead of the former MotoGP race winners until a mistake on lap four cost him four seconds.
The Englishman, who now races for HRC in WorldSBK, remained at the back of the field thereafter, but was promoted to 14th by retirements for Brad Binder and Diogo Moreira.
Dixon matched the pace of full-time LCR riders Moreira and then Johann Zarco during parts of the race.
The Brazilian later retired due to pain in his right elbow, while Zarco finished as the top Honda rider in ninth (+16.3s).
Dixon took the chequered flag 28.7s behind race winner Marco Bezzecchi and 7.6s behind 13th place Maverick Viñales.
“First, I have to say thank you to everyone in HRC and the Honda HRC Castrol team for all they have done this weekend," Dixon said.
“Everyone here has been incredible to help me improve each and every session.
“It's great to get points on our debut, more than I could have hoped for when I was on the plane over here.
“I went wide at Turn 1 during the opening laps of the race and I lost contact with the group, honestly I was annoyed about it because when I looked at the times after the race I would have been able to stay with those guys.
“I went faster than I did in the Sprint, so, super happy,
“74 laps is all we had this weekend, that's what these riders usually do in a single day of testing, so we really need to be happy and enjoy this moment - what a great experience it has been.
“It's all gone too quickly!”
Dixon was the sixth different rider to appear in factory HRC Castrol colours this season after Mir, Luca Marini, Takaaki Nakagami, WorldSBK team-mate Somkiat Chantra and Aleix Espargaro.
Meanwhile, Marini withdrew from the Qatar Grand Prix race "due to his ongoing state of fatigue".
Mir, who has been suffering fatigue-based vision issues, and Marini now have a weekend off to recover before the penultimate round in Portimao.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
