MotoGP Assen: ‘Podium feels pretty good, ready to send it at Silverstone’ - Dixon

Inde GasGas Aspar’s Jake Dixon claimed his second Moto2 podium of the season at the Assen TT Circuit on Sunday.

Having launched from pole for the Dutch Grand Prix, Dixon struggled in the early stages of the 24-lap race. Falling as far down as fifth at the halfway stage, he bided his time before coming strong in the second half as the grip with his Kalex machine improved. A late-race battle with teammate Albert Arenas saw him down to fourth with three to go before the Spaniard crashed out and the podium was back in his grasp.

“The beginning of the race I was really struggling and honestly, it just bring back memories of Sachsenring and going backwards and not recovering the grip,” Dixon said of his Sunday efforts. “But I just think it was down to struggling a little bit at the beginning when the bike’s got the full fuel tank.

“I don’t know if the bike’s just not working in the correct way at the beginning and not allowing me to ride the way I need to and stressing the tyres a bit too much. But then finally when the tank starts to come a bit lighter, I’m able to put the bike a lot more in the way that I need to, prepare the exit a lot more and the grip come good at the end.

“Honestly, today, the team give me the bike to be able to win the race. I just got a little bit beaten up and the strategy obviously didn’t pay off because I had to keep recovering because I kept getting bombed in certain areas. So yeah, the bike was good enough but I just didn’t quite piece everything together.

“It’s a bit frustrating, but again, after a couple of tough races and losing the podium in Barcelona as well. This one actually feels pretty good to be honest with the five week break ahead.

“We’ve been good all year,” he continued on his 2022