Inde GasGas Aspar’s Jake Dixon just missed out on his fifth Moto2 podium of 2022 at Motegi on Sunday.

Having navigated a challenging weekend in Japan with a revised schedule and changeable weather conditions, Dixon launched from the front row after securing an ‘unexpected’ third position during Saturday’s delayed and rain-struck qualifying.

The 25-year-old went from strength to strength in the race, having initially dropped to eighth after a poor start. Regrouping he was back in the mix and running fifth by lap four and battling Augusto Fernandez and Somkiat Chantra of the majority of the 22-lap contest.

A late-race fight with Alonso Lopez found the Brit four-tenths off the podium by the close of play but relieved to walk away from a difficult weekend with a solid haul of points.

“I was a bit nervous at the beginning but then found my rhythm and started to pick off the guys around me to eventually get back to fourth,” Dixon said as he summed up his Sunday in Japan. “I closed the gap to Alonso but in the last moments I was thinking about not crashing.

“If it hadn’t been for a few DNFs lately then I might have had a go at it. I thought it was better to bring back fourth position.

“There are still things we can improve and it was just my second time here in Motegi so the top four is not too bad today.”