Jake Dixon achieved his third consecutive podium finish as he came third at Austria’s Red Bull Ring at the weekend MotoGP Moto2 event.

Dover racer Dixon set the sixth-best time in qualifying last Saturday but a three-position grid penalty imposed on Italian Tony Arbolino allowed him to start from fifth.

The 28-year-old CFMOTO Inde Aspar team rider was able to overtake Aron Canet on the last lap for his third-placed finish while Celestino Vietti, who started on pole, maintained top spot to the line.

After the first 11 races of the season, Sergio García leads the World Championship with a 20-point lead over the injured Ai Ogura and 32 over third-placed Joe Roberts, the American racer.

Dixon remained seventh, although reduced the gap between himself and the leader by 14 points to 68.

Dixon’s team-mate, Izan Guevara, finished the Austrian GP in 12th and sits 17th in the standings.

Dixon said: “I’m super happy because I have been suffering a lot throughout the weekend.

“I want to thank my team because, if it was not for them, I would not be here.

“In the race, I had to recover a big gap where I was more than two seconds behind.

“I have given my all - I have gone to the maximum until the end.”

Dixon is expected to be in MotoGP Moto2 action next in Spain in early September.