MotoGP Motegi: Work to do for Dixon from ‘unexpected’ tenth

Inde GasGas Aspar’s Jake Dixon began his Japan weekend in the Moto2 top ten after a solo free practice on Friday afternoon.

Just one 40-minute session was all the intermediate class had to get up to speed after an absence from the country since 2019. With rain threatening across the weekend, a mostly dry FP1 allowed the riders to assess the Mobility Resort circuit while also attempting a strike for Q2 contention in the closing minutes.

Dixon, while consistently running towards the front of the fastest group, ultimately finished the session tenth overall. His 1’51.448 just under a second adrift of series and session leader Augusto Fernandez, leaving the Brit heading for Q2 if the expected wet conditions arrive for Saturday morning.

“Free practice didn’t go as I expected and I didn’t feel good,” Dixon explain from Japan in Friday. “Things to work on but we’ll keep working to improve for tomorrow’s free practice.”