Jake Dixon admits he is having a hard time understanding what led to him crashing out of the Moto2 Grand Prix of The Americas at COTA on the warm-up lap.

The Briton came to Austin - scene of his maiden Moto2 podium a year earlier - strongly tipped as a contender to break his victory duck on the GasGas Aspar Kalex.

Indeed, though he was unhappy with his qualifying performance, Dixon was still well placed on the second row in sixth position, while he’d shown strong pace in free practice too.

However, his weekend would come to an abrupt end as he rounded turn nine on the warm-up lap after losing the rear of the Kalex on the exit of the left-hand kink and being flicked into a high-side.

Though unhurt in the bizarre incident, the bike was too damaged to remount, leaving a ‘shocked’ Dixon to watch the race from the sidelines.

“I have nothing to say. I didn't do anything different, I just rode. For some reason I went down and couldn't continue. 

“It's shocking for me, but when something like that happens it's out of my hands. It's difficult to deal with this situation, but that's what it is.”

The incident deals a blow to Dixon’s burgeoning title hopes, the 2018 BSB runner-up having enjoyed a positive start to the season with a run to sixth in Portimao and a seventh podium of his Moto2 career in Argentina.

Ahead of the GP paddock’s return to Europe for Round 4 - the Spanish Moto2 at Jerez - Dixon sits sixth in the overall standings, 35 points behind Marc VDS’ Tony Arbolino.