Circuito de Jerez - Angel Nieto
Honda HRC targets strong season finale at Jerez
Dixon and Chantra aim to build on recent progress as the factory team heads into the final round of the 2026 WorldSBK season at a familiar circuit.
The Circuito de Jerez - Ángel Nieto in Spain is set to stage the final round of the 2026 Superbike World Championship this coming weekend. Having travelled to Spain straight from Portugal’s Estoril Circuit, Honda HRC wants to make this final championship round count with Jake Dixon and Somkiat Chantra, both of whom will continue their WorldSBK journey with the factory squad in 2027.
The latest Estoril WorldSBK round, at a track neither rider knew particularly well, posed challenges, but this did not deter Dixon and Chantra, who both made progress over the course of the weekend. A points finish for the duo in Sunday’s Race 2 brought the round to a positive conclusion, though the factory riders will be looking for more at Jerez.
Opened in 1985, Spain’s Circuito de Jerez hosted its first international motorcycle events the following year. WorldSBK first visited the Andalusian circuit in 1990 and has returned regularly since 2013. Renamed in 2018 in honour of Spanish motorcycling legend Ángel Nieto, the track presents a combination of fast and slow corners and a technical final section. The 4.423 km layout comprises a total of thirteen corners - eight right-hand and five left-handers.
SBK RECORDS: Best lap – Bulega (Ducati) 1'37.659 (2025). Superpole – Bulega (Ducati) 1'36.629 (2025).
2025 SBK RESULTS:
Race 1 - 1. Bulega (Ducati); 2. Razgatlioglu (BMW); 3. Bautista (Ducati)
Superpole race – 1. Bulega (Ducati); 2. Bautista (Ducati); 3. Iannone (Ducati)
Race 2 – 1. Bulega (Ducati); 2. Bautista (Ducati); 3. Razgatlioglu (BMW)
Jake Dixon 96 Honda HRC
“I'm looking forward to racing at Jerez. This is where we had our very first test with Honda HRC last November, and we also tested here in January, though the weather was pretty terrible and we didn't get much track time. So, it will be interesting to see where we stand now, after everything we've been through and in light of the work we've done since I returned to racing. We had some encouraging results at Estoril last weekend in qualifying and the Superpole Race, although we're still not where we want to be. And over the longer race distance, we were still struggling a lot. We know there are areas where we need to make significant improvements. The whole team is working hard to find solutions, and I'm certainly not going to stop pushing. I want to be competitive and finish the season with the best possible result.”
Somkiat Chantra 35 Honda HRC
“For this final race weekend at Jerez, I hope we can continue making progress. Unfortunately, I couldn't take part in the January test because of my injury but it's a circuit I know very well, so I hope this can help us. At Estoril, we scored points in both main races, and I was able to recover many positions, especially on Sunday. That was positive, but I know there are still things I need to improve, both in the sessions leading up to the races and with my starts, because this can make a big difference. I'll try to put everything we've learned into practice this weekend, working with the team to improve step by step and finish the season in a positive way.”
