- Aprilia arrive at Jerez as leaders, but Ducati are desperate to rediscover form.
- Marc Marquez hunts 100th GP win at the circuit that nearly ended his career.
- Jerez never disappoints, and this weekend promises to deliver again.
The impromptu spring break is over, and MotoGP is back! And what better place to go racing again than at Jerez? But there are plenty of narratives to ponder before the lights go out.
Ducati have won each of the last five races, including Alex Marquez’s long-awaited maiden premier class victory here last year. Pecco Bagnaia also won three Spanish GPs in a row from 2022 to 2024. But the Bologna Bullets are undergoing their most barren run of wins since 2021 and have a solitary Sunday podium in 2026.
Their tour de force, Marc Marquez, is going through a lean patch himself. Winless in main races since Misano last campaign and still recovering after a shoulder injury, he’s fifth in the 2026 standings and not even the leading Ducati pilot. Besides, the 33-year-old will tread carefully at a place where he hasn’t taken a Sunday win since 2019 and suffered that near-career-ending injury in 2020. So, completing the quest for his 100th grand prix this Sunday would be some way to mark a return to form, no pun intended.
The Aprilia uprising
In the other Italian garage, things could hardly be any more perfect. Aprilia have a 100 percent record on Sundays in 2026 so far and comfortably lead all other constructors. Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin are also first and second among the riders, with Bezzecchi’s dominance underlined by a modern-era record of 121 consecutive laps led. That’s every single lap of every main race in the last five rounds. Although with two DNFs and zero medals on Saturdays this season, Bez’s sprint form will be under the microscope.
Even though the Noale-based factory has never triumphed at Jerez, there is more positive news. Three different manufacturers have taken pole at Jerez in the last three years, including Aleix Espargaro for Aprilia in 2023.
You can’t say pole positions and not mention Jerez’s qualifying king: Fabio Quartararo. The flying Frenchman holds that record with five P1 starts, including last year. It’s also where ‘El Diablo’ won his first two races in the MotoGP class in 2020. Jack Miller’s 2021 success will further bolster Yamaha’s hopes of rising from the bottom spot in the table.
Another home favourite, Pedro Acosta, will be fighting for a win far more than just a podium. The KTM hotshot is third in the standings, but a Sunday rostrum that’s not the top step would set the unwanted record of most MotoGP podiums (13) without a grand prix win. So, expect an all-out ‘Shark’ attack this weekend. On the Tech3 side, KTM will have only Enea Bastianini, as Maverick Vinales continues to recover from shoulder surgery.
Test riders Lorenzo Savadori and Augusto Fernandez will also race as wildcard entrants for Aprilia and Yamaha, respectively.
A championship leader chasing history in uncharted territory, while a fallen giant desperately tries to rediscover its roar. A local hero hunting a landmark century while a generational talent tries to avoid a record. And a French superstar who simply loves this place. The track’s glorious history and characteristics promise an absolute thriller. So whatever happens this weekend, don’t look away.
MotoGP Jerez 2026: Full Schedule
| Day | Session | Time (BST) |
| Friday, April 24 | Free Practice 1 | 09:45 – 10:30 |
| Practice | 14:00 – 15:00 | |
| Saturday, April 25 | Free Practice 2 | 09:10 – 09:40 |
| Qualifying 1 | 09:50 – 10:05 | |
| Qualifying 2 | 10:15 – 10:30 | |
| MotoGP Sprint (12 Laps) | 14:00 | |
| Sunday, April 26 | MotoGP Warm Up | 08:40 – 08:50 |
| Moto3 Race (19 laps) | 10:00 | |
| Moto2 Race (21 laps) | 11:15 | |
| MotoGP Race (25 Laps) | 13:00 |
