- Jerez has hosted 40 consecutive GPs and remains one of MotoGP’s crown jewels.
- From the Pedrosa hairpin to the roaring stadium section, every corner tells a story.
- Here’s everything you need to know about it as the European races get underway.
Round 4 of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship will be doubly special for the Spanish fans. It’s the 40th consecutive year that the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto has hosted a grand prix.
Built in 1986, the track is located in a natural valley near Jerez de la Frontera, 90 kilometres south of Seville. It was renamed after Spain’s legendary 13-time world champion following his death in 2017. Clockwise in layout, it’s 4.423km (2.748 miles) long and 11m (36.09ft) wide with eight right-handed corners and five to the left.
The numerous grandstands can seat up to 250,000 raucously loud fans who create an atmosphere like nowhere else. Sunny weather year-round also makes Jerez one of the most sought-after testing venues.
The Jerez ride-along
The lap begins with the short home straight leading into the heavy-braking turn 1. A flowing first sector also features the go-up-the-gears turn 3, nasty for launching riders into vicious highsides. Just ask Marc Marquez.
It’s followed by the one corner, one straight sector two that brings up the classic divebomb hotspot: the turn 6 Dani Pedrosa hairpin. But the most thrilling side-by-side and switchback action usually goes down between Aspar turn 8, and the turns 9-12 stadium section. Remember Marquez vs. Bagnaia in 2024 and 2025?
The Angel Nieto and Peluqui 9-10 consecutive rights are essentially one continuous sequence, demanding pinpoint precision on entry. Criville and Ferrari double right-handers are taken flat out at over 200km/h with no margin for error. After four right turns in a row, the final Curva Jorge Lorenzo provides a check for grip and tyre temperature on the left side. Last-gasp passes here have decided races more than once.
Know your numbers
Valentino Rossi has the most premier class wins here with seven, followed by Mick Doohan with four. The Italian legend also holds the joint-most poles (five), along with Jorge Lorenzo and Fabio Quartararo. The latter is the all-time lap record holder with a qualifying effort of 1:35.610s last year. But expect that to be taken apart during this weekend.
The circuit is relatively even in elevation changes, while the main straight is the shortest on the entire calendar at 607m (0.377 miles). The top speed record at Jerez is just over 300km/h. So, more than outright engine grunt, it’s precise corner entry and exit, along with rear-tire management, that’s key here. A titanic tussle between the Aprilias and Ducatis is almost guaranteed.
More than a race weekend
The action at Jerez won’t be over by Sunday either, as the first official mid-season test of 2026 gets underway on Tuesday. Teams will look to shake things up with upgrades and setup changes.
But before that, the lights go out on a Jerez weekend that has plenty of storylines. So, don’t be shocked if the 224,420 weekend attendance record from last year is shattered again.
The south of Spain has been the stage for some of MotoGP’s most unforgettable moments: the Mick Doohan-Alex Criville duel in 1996, Valentino Rossi’s cold-blooded pass on Sete Gibernau in 2005, and Marquez’s cheeky lunge on Jorge Lorenzo at his own corner in 2013. Who will make the headlines this time?
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 |
