Honda HRC takes on the UK WorldSBK round with its full line-up
Donington Park CircuitThe eighth round of the WorldSBK Championship will take place at Donington Park in the UK, making it a home round for Honda HRC rider Jake Dixon, who returns to action this weekend after being declared fit today following a lengthy absence due to injury. He will rejoin teammate Somkiat Chantra, who was part of last weekend’s winning Suzuka 8 Hours team with Takumi Takahashi and Jonathan Rea. The six-time WorldSBK champion will also compete in the upcoming World Superbike round as a wildcard entry supported by the Honda HRC test team.
The Honda HRC team is pleased to welcome Dixon back to the fold for this British round, a very important one for the local rider, born in Dover. Jake has only competed in one race this season, at Motorland Aragón, after sustaining a serious injury at the final pre-season test in Australia. Enthusiastic to be back in action at a track he knows so well, in front of his home crowd, Dixon is highly motivated and raring to go after sitting out the latest Emilia Romagna round at Misano World Circuit in preparation for this eighth round.
Donington Park has been a fixture on the WorldSBK calendar since the very beginning, when it hosted the championship’s inaugural races in 1988. Situated in Leicestershire, England, the venue first opened in 1931. Racing ceased during World War 2, and the circuit remained inactive until competition returned in 1977. Major improvements were completed in 2017, including extensive redevelopment of the paddock area, while a full track resurfacing was carried out in 2023 ahead of that season’s WorldSBK event. Today, the 4.023 km circuit features a 550-metre main straight, seven right-hand corners and five left-hand corners.
Track Information:
Country: UK
Name: Donington Park
Length: 4.023 km
Pole position: left
Race distance: 23 laps/92.529 km
SBK RECORDS: Best lap: Razgatlioglu (BMW) 1'25.597 (2024). Superpole – Razgatlioglu (BMW) 1'24.629 (2024).
2025 RESULTS:
Race 1 - 1. Razgatlioglu (BMW); 2. Bulega (Ducati); 3. Petrucci (Ducati)
Superpole race: 1. Razgatlioglu (BMW); 2. Bulega (Ducati); 3. S. Lowes (Ducati)
Race 2 - 1. Razgatlioglu (BMW); 2. Bulega (Ducati); 3. Bautista (Ducati)
"It’s great to be back racing after such a long period. The recovery has been tough, but it feels good to finally put that behind me and focus on racing again. Returning for my home round makes it even more special. Donington is a track I know well and being back here with the team means a lot. We already completed a test here in June and, even then, I was able to ride without any big issues with my wrist, which was already a good sign. Another couple of weeks have passed since then and my physical condition has continued to improve, so I head into the weekend feeling positive. The test was encouraging not only physically but also in terms of the bike setup and the direction in which we were working. The conditions were actually a little hotter than what we're expecting this weekend, but the only real way to understand where we are is when everyone is out there together and the sessions get underway. For now, I’m just really happy to be back with the team at my home round and I can’t wait to get the weekend started."
"It’s great to be back racing after such a long period. The recovery has been tough, but it feels good to finally put that behind me and focus on racing again. Returning for my home round makes it even more special. Donington is a track I know well and being back here with the team means a lot. We already completed a test here in June and, even then, I was able to ride without any big issues with my wrist, which was already a good sign. Another couple of weeks have passed since then and my physical condition has continued to improve, so I head into the weekend feeling positive. The test was encouraging not only physically but also in terms of the bike setup and the direction in which we were working. The conditions were actually a little hotter than what we're expecting this weekend, but the only real way to understand where we are is when everyone is out there together and the sessions get underway. For now, I’m just really happy to be back with the team at my home round and I can’t wait to get the weekend started."
“This week we race at Donington, another track that I’m competing at for the first time. But at least we had one day of testing here back in June, which didn't go too badly, so hopefully that will help us start in the right way on Friday morning. I will try to do my best, not only in terms of the work in the garage with the team, but also in adapting my riding style to both the bike and the track. As always, the goal is to keep improving session by session and make the most of the weekend."
“This week we race at Donington, another track that I’m competing at for the first time. But at least we had one day of testing here back in June, which didn't go too badly, so hopefully that will help us start in the right way on Friday morning. I will try to do my best, not only in terms of the work in the garage with the team, but also in adapting my riding style to both the bike and the track. As always, the goal is to keep improving session by session and make the most of the weekend."
