Jake Dixon will miss this weekend’s (27–29 March) Portuguese WorldSBK round, but he says he had a “positive” update on his injury last week.

Dixon is yet to race in 2026 after a crash during the final preseason WorldSBK test at Phillip Island in February left him with wrist fractures.

The British rider will be replaced by Jonathan Rea at the second round of the championship this weekend in Portimao, but says that last week he received “positive” news about his injuries.

“I travelled to Manchester on 17 March for a follow-up medical check and the news is positive,” Dixon said.

“My wrist is now out of the backslab and in a splint, though I still have the wires in place, which will be removed in a couple of weeks. 

“I will be in Portugal this week to support the team. Having Johnny stepping in while I’m injured is a great thing for us. He’s a multiple world champion, so I want to take the opportunity to learn as much as possible from him – how he works, how he communicates with the team, his feedback. 

“Even if I can’t ride right now, I want to stay involved, help the team and keep morale high. It will also be a good chance for me to better understand how a WorldSBK race weekend works. I’ll be there supporting the boys and hopefully cheering them on to a strong result.”

Rea: “No real expectations”

As for Dixon’s replacement, Jonathan Rea, the Portuguese Round will be a first chance to race a Honda in WorldSBK since 2014, and therefore his first opportunity to race this generation of the Fireblade.

Rea, who became Honda’s official WorldSBK test rider at the end of last year after his retirement from full-time racing, has had little chance to test the bike due to the poor weather at the European tests so far this year, and so furthering his understanding of the bike will be a key aspect of this weekend.

 “Firstly, I want to wish Jake [Dixon] a very speedy recovery,” he said.

“The chance to race in WorldSBK again has come earlier than I expected, but it will also allow me to get some time on the bike and keep working with the team. The weather this winter has been quite challenging, so being able to come to Portugal and race is important and we’ll try to make the most of it to gather valuable information. 

“It’s a circuit I really enjoy and I’m looking forward to continuing to grow with the CBR, while learning as much as possible. 

“There are no real expectations or targets, just to enjoy the weekend, work well with the team and the crew, and continue developing the bike as best we can. 

“I think it’s a very ambitious project that requires a lot of work, but I’m optimistic.”