Catapulted from Moto2 to SBK, in the two days of testing at the Jerez de La Frontera circuit Jake Dixon found himself feeling two sensations: the euphoria typical of change, but also a certain bewilderment related to the leap into the void he had made. Twelfth at the end of the overall test, the Honda rider had only positive words to say about the experience.
"It went very well. It was good to be back on a big, powerful bike, plus I got to learn a lot. Too bad about the couple of crashes that occurred while I was trying to understand things, but that's how it goes sometimes. In terms of the team, I couldn't be happier because I've never raced for such a professional team with so much staff around me," were his immediate feelings.
As you said in the two-day test there were some crashes. What caused them?
"Yesterday I went over the limit under braking, while today I didn't feel confident with the front and I made a mistake in Turn 2, but no big deal. The last one, however, happened coming out of Turn 4 when I got a bit too much wheelie, went wide and couldn't close the throttle in time, so I ended up in the gravel and wasn't able to slow down enough to avoid the barriers. It's not the ideal situation, but that's how it is when you learn. Still, it was a great two days, with lots of laps and just as many long runs. I also got to work with the hard tyre, while because of the crashes I couldn't focus on the qualifying tyre."
What is it like going from Moto2 to SBK?
"There is a crazy difference, especially the electronics, considering that in this respect Moto2 has a fairly basic package. As for me, I had to adapt a lot. Whereas on the pace I'm not bad, on the single lap I still have to learn a lot. I look forward to progressing on this path to becoming a real SBK rider."
Jonathan Rea will be Honda's official test rider. What are your thoughts on that?
"He has won so many titles and knows how to be fast. He has raced for Honda, but also for Kawasaki and Yamaha, so he will bring with him a lot of experience and will further help the team in continuing in the right direction already, in my opinion."
Having reached a certain age, the MotoGP train can be said to be lost. When did you realize you had to change paddocks?
"Probably at the beginning of 2025. Although the start of the year was going well, I was aware that I had little chance. But I knew as soon as I entered MotoGP that considering my age it would be too late. It's not the best not to have had the opportunity, but that's the way life goes. Here it came and I took it right away. I knocked on their door as much as they knocked on mine. I wanted to be part of the Honda family and here I am. I sincerely believe that together we will do great things."
Xavi Vierge and Sam Lowes have raced in SBK, and they say there are points of contact between the production-derived bikes and Moto2. Do you agree?
"No, they are completely different. Maybe they were drunk when they said that. In my opinion they are just different, starting with the electronics package. While in Moto2 it's very simple, here you have to think about every single corner, between engine braking, power and traction control. In the middle class there is no TC, we have mechanical engine brake and torque control, so everything is limited. Here after the first day I had my head confused because you have to think about so many things, not just the chassis, but how to manage the rear tyre, the electronics and everything else. So for me we are talking about two different worlds. Maybe there is more similarity with MotoGP. The same can be said for BSB. Even there there is none of that and everything is in your hands. There are a variety of aids here, but having a team to help you extract the maximum potential is also important."
Have you been to the factory in Japan yet?
"Yes, before the Motegi GP. It's crazy what they are doing to grow, and I'm not just saying that with racing in mind, but in general. It's a company with great talent."