Joan Mir set to miss Qatar: What we now know about his health problems

• Mir retired from the Malaysian Grand Prix on lap nine after his dizziness and vision problems returned
• Jake Dixon is set to ride the second factory Honda alongside Luca Marini in Qatar, though this has not yet been made official
• For Dixon, it would be his third MotoGP start and his first on a Honda

Just one week after his comeback, Joan Mir is facing another break. The 29-year-old had been out for almost two months after the San Marino Grand Prix, missing the races in Austria, Japan, Indonesia and Australia. In Sepang he was finally back on the Honda RC213V, but in Sunday’s race he was caught out by exactly the problem that has been dogging him for so long. Honda now apparently plans to go without him for the weekend of 6 to 8 November in Lusail. Joan Mir being sidelined by illness hits the factory team at a point in the 2026 MotoGP season when many regular riders are already missing.

Will Joan Mir race at the Qatar Grand Prix?

As things stand, no. According to information The Race obtained from the paddock, Jake Dixon is set to take over Mir’s bike in Qatar and thus become Luca Marini’s teammate.

As of Wednesday afternoon, there had been no official confirmation from Honda. Mir himself had declined to make any prediction straight after the race in Sepang. He said he had no more answers at the moment, that the work would continue and that he hoped to get the problem under control soon. There is no timeline for his return. Qatar would be the fifth race weekend he has missed since the San Marino Grand Prix.

What symptoms does Joan Mir have?

Joan Mir suffers from dizziness and blurred vision, combined with severe fatigue. The symptoms mainly appear when his heart rate stays high for an extended period.

What exactly lies behind the illness is still unclear. Until the Malaysian weekend, almost nothing about his symptoms had been made public. Only after his retirement did Mir speak about them more openly. He said he had no problems in practice and qualifying because the runs there are short. The big question mark for him had always been the moment when his heart rate rises sharply, and that only happens in the race. A Grand Prix in Sepang lasts 20 laps, which is almost 110 kilometres at full throttle.

Before the race, Mir had made a clear agreement with his doctors: as soon as he felt dizzy, he would stop. “I started to get a bit dizzy on lap nine,” he explained. On top of that, his vision started to blur and, by his own account, he no longer had full control of the bike. Mir said he was disappointed. He had worked hard to arrive in Malaysia in good shape and had hoped for more.

What happened at the Malaysian Grand Prix?

Mir ran in tenth place for a long time in the race before suddenly dropping to the back of the field on lap nine and retiring in the pits. Up to that point, his comeback had been going promisingly.

As early as Friday, Mir had secured direct entry into the second qualifying session, Q2 for short, in tenth place. In the Grand Prix he was only a few tenths of a second behind his fellow Honda riders Johann Zarco and Luca Marini and just ahead of rookie Diogo Moreira. However, the conditions were extreme: 36 degrees air temperature and 55 degrees track temperature with high humidity. At first it therefore looked as though Mir simply lacked the fitness for such a tough race after his long break. His own statements, however, show that there is more to it.

Who is Jake Dixon?

Jake Dixon is a 30-year-old Briton who has been riding for Honda in the World Superbike Championship since this season. Before that, he spent seven years racing in Moto2.

MotoGP is not entirely new to him. In 2021, Dixon stepped in twice for the then Yamaha satellite team Petronas SRT because Franco Morbidelli was injured. On his debut at Silverstone he finished 19th, and at Aragón he crashed. Qatar would therefore be his third start in the premier class and his first on a factory Honda. Since 2021, however, the bikes and technology have changed considerably.

His first Superbike season was difficult. During testing at Phillip Island in February he injured his wrist and missed the first five race weekends. In the end he finished 19th overall. As the World Superbike Championship came to an end in Jerez in mid-October, Dixon now has time on his hands. His contract with Honda reportedly already includes the option of helping out in MotoGP if needed. For the Japanese Grand Prix, however, Honda opted for his Superbike teammate Somkiat Chantra, who finished 13th there, equalling his best MotoGP result.

Dixon has mixed memories of Qatar. In 2024, after a heavy crash, he was not allowed to fly because of lung problems and had to stay in the country for a week before he could go home.

Why isn’t Nakagami or Espargaró riding for Honda?

Neither is available for Qatar. Test rider Takaaki Nakagami broke his left collarbone at the beginning of October, and Aleix Espargaró wants to concentrate on testing work with the new 850cc bike.

That makes Dixon the obvious solution. This way, Honda avoids leaving the second factory bike empty in Qatar, as has happened once before recently.

What’s next for Honda in the 2026 MotoGP season?

After Qatar, two more races remain: the Portuguese Grand Prix in Portimão from 20 to 22 November and the season finale in Valencia a week later. Whether Mir will return there is open.

Honda is one of the four manufacturers that have confirmed their participation in Qatar. Even so, the field in Lusail will be unusually small. Yamaha is skipping the race with all four of its bikes, and at Gresini Alex Marquez is missing after shoulder surgery. There is also still a question mark over several other riders due to injuries.

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➜ This article is part of our comprehensive overview: 2026 MotoGP Season: The Complete Overview – Teams, Riders, Calendar & Championship Standings. Find all key information on this topic in one place.