Honda HRC completes two-day Magny-Cours test in very hot conditions
Circuit de Nevers Magny-CoursHonda HRC tests at Nevers Magny-Cours in preparation for the final rounds of the 2026 WorldSBK season
With no WorldSBK round for six weeks, Honda HRC has continued its development programme with the first of two August test sessions, completing two days of work at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours with factory riders Jake Dixon and Somkiat Chantra.
Neither Jake nor Somkiat have competed at Magny-Cours before, and so this test session was also useful in allowing the two riders to learn the layout and establish important reference points ahead of the ninth WorldSBK round, scheduled for 4–6 September at the same venue.
Despite very high temperatures (air 38°C, track 65°C), both riders spent significant time on track on Thursday, working with their respective crews to establish a good base setup while progressively building their knowledge of the circuit and their feeling with the bike. Completing 69 and 103 laps respectively on day one, Dixon and Chantra successfully collated a large quantity of crucial data.
Work continued throughout Friday, with both riders carrying out a series of tests focusing on suspension, electronics and setup comparisons as they worked through their respective programmes. Dixon completed a further 70 laps and Chantra 94.
The work will now continue back at base, with the engineers analysing the information and feedback collected during the test. The Honda HRC team will be back on track in just ten days’ time (25–26 August) for a further two-day test at Estoril Circuit in Portugal.
“I like the Magny-Cours track. It’s a little difficult to learn, but it’s a nice one; the main thing over these two days was the heat – it was really hot out there. We tried quite a few things, basically working to find a good base setup for me. At the end of the day, it’s a test – there are no prizes to be won – so we just focused on working our way through the test plan the team had prepared and gathering as much information as possible. We’ve been busy, but I ended the test happy. Now we have another two days at Estoril, where again I’ll need to learn the track while continuing to work on the bike setup. The goal is to keep working, build step by step.”
“I like the Magny-Cours track. It’s a little difficult to learn, but it’s a nice one; the main thing over these two days was the heat – it was really hot out there. We tried quite a few things, basically working to find a good base setup for me. At the end of the day, it’s a test – there are no prizes to be won – so we just focused on working our way through the test plan the team had prepared and gathering as much information as possible. We’ve been busy, but I ended the test happy. Now we have another two days at Estoril, where again I’ll need to learn the track while continuing to work on the bike setup. The goal is to keep working, build step by step.”
“This was my first time riding at Magny-Cours, so I was able to spend a lot of time learning the track while also working on the bike. We tried many different things with the setup, including electronics and suspension, over the two days and were able to collect a lot of useful information. This is important because during a race weekend we don’t have so much time to test different solutions, while here we could really focus on this kind of work. Overall, I’m happy with how the test went. I was able to improve my lap time session by session as I learned the circuit, and on the first day I set my fastest time in the afternoon heat, which was very positive.”
“This was my first time riding at Magny-Cours, so I was able to spend a lot of time learning the track while also working on the bike. We tried many different things with the setup, including electronics and suspension, over the two days and were able to collect a lot of useful information. This is important because during a race weekend we don’t have so much time to test different solutions, while here we could really focus on this kind of work. Overall, I’m happy with how the test went. I was able to improve my lap time session by session as I learned the circuit, and on the first day I set my fastest time in the afternoon heat, which was very positive.”
