CRUTCHLOW PRAISES DIXON’S RECOVERY AFTER QATAR DEBUT CRASH

Jake Dixon’s first MotoGP appearance of 2026 began with a crash, but the Honda stand-in showed enough pace in Qatar to earn praise from pundit Neil Hodgson—and from test rider Cal Crutchlow, who was working with him inside the garage.

Dixon is filling in for Joan Mir, who is absent through illness. His Friday afternoon session took a difficult turn less than five minutes in, when he crashed on his out-lap and had to return to the pits for his spare bike. Hodgson described the incident as a “nightmare” and said he felt for Dixon, knowing how the British rider would feel. He noted that a Michelin front tyre was involved, but said the important thing was how Dixon responded with limited track time available.

“He was able to put that behind him and focus on doing some laps,” Hodgson said on TNT Sports. Dixon worked to build a feel for the Honda and move forward, though he ended FP2 2.264 seconds behind session leader Marco Bezzecchi.

Hodgson also relayed a private message from Crutchlow, who had been closely involved in Dixon’s weekend. “Obviously, Cal is inside the garage, he’s working closely with Jake, and he called me and said, ‘We are so impressed,’” Hodgson said.

Dixon’s progress became more apparent in qualifying. He was unable to advance from Q1 to the top-12 shootout, but initially ran within a few tenths of the full-time riders and at one point posted a faster time than Honda’s Luca Marini. Hodgson highlighted the stand-in’s pace during the session, noting that Dixon was fifth at that stage and just over half a second behind Pedro Acosta.

“I’m going to have to bang the drum, I know I keep mentioning his name, but Jake Dixon has gone faster again,” Hodgson said. He added that Dixon was “faster than Luca Marini,” joking that the Italian would need to have “a good chat to yourself” if he saw the comparison in the garage.

Marini ultimately reclaimed the advantage, finishing Q1 three tenths ahead of Dixon. The Briton nevertheless ended the session only half a second off riders such as Pedro Acosta and three tenths clear of Tech3’s Maverick Viñales. After the early crash and a difficult FP2, his qualifying pace offered a strong response and showed why Honda had entrusted him with Mir’s entry for the Qatar weekend.