Dixon replaces Mir at Honda HRC for Qatar MotoGP round

Joan Mir will not race in Qatar after his return from a long break was cut short at Sepang. The HRC rider had come back following vision problems and muscle weakness, but the issues resurfaced during the race in Malaysia and forced him to retire. He has returned to Spain to continue his recovery.

Jake Dixon, who races for the factory Honda team in World Superbike, will take his place on the RC213V. It will not be his first MotoGP outing, as he raced in the premier class in 2021, replacing the injured Franco Morbidelli on the Petronas Yamaha at Silverstone and Aragon.

Dixon said he was grateful to Honda HRC for the opportunity and that he would take the weekend step by step, having not ridden a MotoGP bike for some time. He wished Mir well and said he hoped to see him back on the bike soon.