British rider Jake Dixon will step in for the injured Joan Mir at the Honda factory team for the upcoming MotoGP round in Qatar, multiple reports confirmed Thursday. The move comes after Mir was ruled out due to injury, opening the door for Dixon to make his premier-class debut with the Japanese manufacturer.
Dixon, a race winner in Moto2, has been serving as a test rider for Honda and impressed during recent private testing sessions. The 28-year-old from Kent previously competed in the British Superbike Championship, where he finished runner-up in 2017, and has accumulated three victories and 14 podiums in the intermediate class since moving to the world championship in 2020.
Honda has struggled for competitiveness since the departure of Marc Marquez, with Mir and teammate Luca Marini both facing difficult seasons aboard the RC213V. Dixon's arrival provides the team with fresh feedback as they continue development work, though the British rider faces a steep learning curve at the Losail International Circuit, a venue he has not previously raced at in MotoGP.
The Qatar Grand Prix weekend begins with practice on Friday, November 13, with the sprint race on Saturday and the main event on Sunday, November 15. Mir's return timeline remains unclear, leaving open the possibility of further appearances for Dixon depending on the Spaniard's recovery.
