“Busy” WorldSBK test at “difficult to learn” Magny-Cours for Jake Dixon

WorldSBK’s two-month summer break allows some time for testing, which HRC took advantage of at Magny-Cours this week, a circuit Jake Dixon has described as “difficult to learn”.

A rookie in WorldSBK this year, Dixon had never ridden Magny-Cours before the two-day test on 13–14 August.

The French track is a staple of the series’ calendar and one of the more technical circuits on the current calendar, with a mix of fast direction changes, tight hairpins, long corners, and its distinctive kerb-hopping final chicane.

Dixon had his chance to try to learn the track before heading back for the French Round on 7–9 September, but it came in extreme heat, with 37C of air temperature and up to 65C track temperature, Honda says.

It was a complicated test, then, but one in which Dixon needed to work on his base setup, having missed so much time this year with the wrist injury sustained in preseason.

“I like the Magny-Cours track,” Jake Dixon said after the Magny-Cours test.

“It’s a little difficult to learn, but it’s a nice one.

“The main thing over these two days was the heat – it was really hot out there. 

“We tried quite a few things, basically working to find a good base setup for me. At the end of the day, it’s a test – there are no prizes to be won – so we just focused on working our way through the test plan the team had prepared and gathering as much information as possible. 

“We’ve been busy, but I ended the test happy. 

“Now we have another two days at Estoril, where again I’ll need to learn the track while continuing to work on the bike setup. The goal is to keep working, build step by step.” 

Almost 200 laps for Chantra

Dixon’s lap count at the end of the two days was 139, a number which was dwarfed by the mileage put in by his team-mate Somkiat Chantra, who ended the second day with 197 laps under his belt at the Circuit Nevers Magny-Cours.

For Chantra, too, it was a first experience of the French track, and he felt he was able to make improvements throughout the two days.

“This was my first time riding at Magny-Cours,” he said, “so I was able to spend a lot of time learning the track while also working on the bike. 

“We tried many different things with the setup, including electronics and suspension, over the two days and were able to collect a lot of useful information. This is important because during a race weekend we don’t have so much time to test different solutions, while here we could really focus on this kind of work. 

“Overall, I’m happy with how the test went. I was able to improve my lap time session by session as I learned the circuit, and on the first day I set my fastest time in the afternoon heat, which was very positive.”