MotoGP Qatar: Dixon ready for more, ‘bike is incredible’

Jake Dixon got off to an impressive start to 2022 on his first official day of work with the Inde GasGas Aspar Team.

Completing FP1 second in the Moto2 standings, Dixon’s first taste of the Lusail International Circuit on the Aspar GasGas Kalex machine, due to no testing at the Doha track this year, was promising from the outset.

A 2’00.428, set on his penultimate lap of the opening intermediate action sat the Brit second to KTM’s Augusto Fernandez in FP1 before further improvements in the mid-afternoon practice saw the 26-year-old circulate on 1’59.762 pace. A late session crash at turn one prevented him from joining the final push for a hot lap as the sun set but with confidence in his bike increasing, Dixon is excited for more as the weekend progresses. “It was a great day,” Dixon said from Qatar.

“I’m loving it out there and feeling great on the bike. I made a small mistake so I didn’t get to make the most of FP2 but I’m ready to get back to it tomorrow.

“I need to relax,” he continued. “Not worry about the lap time and let it come naturally. Luckily, I’m fine after the crash, but I need to not make mistakes like that again. The bike is incredible and I feel very good on it. We will continue fighting tomorrow.”