Inde GasGas Aspar’s Jake Dixon rounded out 2023 preseason testing ninth in Sunday’s combined Moto2 standings at Portimao.

After a challenging private outing at Jerez, three days and 124 laps navigating the Algarve International Circuit in preparation for next weekend’s first round of competition proved more fruitful for Dixon as he secured a 1’42.487 best lap to sit half a second shy of Pedro Acosta’s outright target.

“The beginning of the tests didn’t go as we expected,” Dixon confirmed on Sunday evening. “I didn’t have good feeling with the bike and it felt different compared to last year.

“Little by little we got closer to what we were looking for and we ended with some very good days in Portimao.

“We are growing,” he continued. “I am getting more confident lap after lap and I think we can still develop more.”