Checks planned after persistent fatigue
Honda HRC and Luca Marini withdrew him from the 2026 Qatar Grand Prix after Warm Up. The team said the physical difficulties seen in Australia and Malaysia had continued, preventing sustained maximum effort over several laps. He will return to Italy for tests ahead of the final two rounds.
MotoGP confirmed that he had qualified fourteenth, finished thirteenth in the Sprint and completed four full Warm Up laps. Persistent fatigue was reported; a specific diagnosis was not announced.
Dixon recovers after running wide
Dixon was deputising for Joan Mir, who continued his recovery at home. Bagnaia was also ruled out after Aldeguer hit him from behind on the opening Sprint lap, causing a crash and fractures to the fourth and fifth metatarsals in his right foot.
With Marini and Francesco Bagnaia absent, Dixon moved to fifteenth on the grid as Honda HRC’s sole starter. He passed Iker Lecuona and Franco Morbidelli into the opening corner, but ran on at Turn 1 on lap four and lost contact.
He worked back towards the group, gained as Diogo Moreira and Brad Binder faded, and finished fourteenth for his first premier-class points. Dixon said he had completed only 74 laps across the weekend, making the result better than he had expected before travelling.
Dixon was frustrated by the early error, believing his subsequent lap times showed he could have stayed with that group.
The next round takes place in Portugal on November 20–22. Honda has yet to announce Marini’s subsequent test findings or participation.
