Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto

Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto at a glance

Location

Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz

Type

road course

Length

4.428 km (2.751 mi)

Turns

15

Direction

clockwise

Surface

asphalt

Opened

1985

Owner

Circuito de Jerez management

Capacity

125,000

Address

Autovía Jerez-Arcos, salida 3

Phone

+34 956 15 11 00

Website

circuitodejerez.com

Track map and layout

Jerez's Grand Prix layout runs clockwise over 4.428 km and 15 corners, opening with a long start-finish straight into a heavy braking zone at Turn 1 that has produced some of MotoGP's most-replayed last-lap passes. The lap winds through a tight, technical middle section, including corners named after Spanish riders Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa, before the fast Curva Senna sweeps into the closing sector and back onto the front straight. Slightly narrower and bumpier than Spain's newer circuits, Jerez rewards precise corner-entry speed over outright horsepower, which is part of why it remains a favourite winter and pre-season test venue for both cars and motorcycles.

Named corners and sections

• Curva Michelin (Turn 1). The tight right-hander at the end of the front straight, the circuit's main braking and overtaking zone, scene of numerous last-lap MotoGP dives.
• Curva Senna. A fast, sweeping corner added in the 1994 reconfiguration and named in tribute to Ayrton Senna.
• Curva Lorenzo. Named after five-time world champion Jorge Lorenzo, part of the technical infield sequence.
• Curva Pedrosa. Named after Spanish MotoGP racer Dani Pedrosa, in the circuit's tighter middle sector.

Configurations

Events and race weekends

Jerez has hosted the MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix every year since the championship's modern era began, making it one of the sport's most historic and consistently used venues; the race is held in April, traditionally the first European round of the season. The Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) holds an autumn round here, and the circuit is one of MotoGP and Formula 1's most popular winter and pre-season testing venues thanks to its reliable weather and low cost relative to other Spanish tracks.

Getting there and parking

The circuit sits just off the Jerez-Arcos motorway a few kilometres northeast of Jerez de la Frontera in Cádiz province, with Jerez Airport only about 10-15 minutes away by road, making it one of the most accessible Spanish circuits by air. Jerez de la Frontera's main railway station, served by regional and long-distance trains from Seville and Cádiz, is roughly 15-20 minutes from the gates by taxi or shuttle bus on race weekends.

• Jerez Airport (XRY) · about 12 min drive
• Seville Airport (SVQ) · about 60 min drive

Parking

General parking fields around the circuit are included with most tickets; arrive early for the MotoGP weekend, when the Jerez-Arcos motorway exit gets heavily congested.

Fly into Jerez Airport, which is only a short drive from the circuit, rather than routing through Seville unless combining the trip with a longer Andalusia stay.

Hotels and camping near Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto

Jerez de la Frontera itself has a limited hotel supply that sells out months ahead of the MotoGP weekend, so many visitors also look at El Puerto de Santa María, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and Cádiz city, all roughly 30 minutes away, or Seville for a longer stay combined with sightseeing. On-site and trackside camping is one of the biggest parts of the Jerez MotoGP weekend and is extremely popular with Spanish fans.

Where to look

Jerez de la Frontera is closest but books out fastest; El Puerto de Santa María, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and Cádiz city offer more availability roughly 30 minutes away.

Track days, driving experiences and lap records

Jerez is widely used for car and motorcycle track days and manufacturer testing thanks to its reliable dry weather and technical layout. The circuit runs its own driving and riding experiences, and several Spanish and international track-day organisers regularly book the Grand Prix layout outside the MotoGP and WorldSBK race weekends.

Who runs days here

• Circuito de Jerez (in-house track days)both
• Trackdays.escar

Lap records

Spectator guide

Grandstands cluster around the start-finish straight and Turn 1, giving close-up views of starts and the circuit's signature last-lap passing zone; general admission hillside terraces around the middle and closing sectors are hugely popular with local fans and offer views of multiple corners for a lower ticket price. The MotoGP weekend regularly draws some of the biggest and most passionate crowds on the calendar.

Seating

Numbered grandstands run along the main straight and Turn 1; general admission zones cover hillsides overlooking the circuit's infield corners.

Best places to watch

Turn 1 grandstands are the classic vantage point for MotoGP's frequent last-corner overtakes; the general admission hill near Curva Senna gives a wide view of the closing sector.

Weather

• April (MotoGP): mild and mostly dry, highs around 20-23°C with occasional spring showers
• October (WorldSBK): warm and largely dry, highs around 24-27°C

History of Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto

Andalusia's answer to a home Grand Prix

The Circuito Permanente de Jerez opened in December 1985 near Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, built to give Spain a modern, purpose-designed home for the Spanish Grand Prix after years of using the ageing Jarama circuit near Madrid. Formula 1 raced here from 1986 to 1990, producing one of the sport's most famous finishes in 1986 when Ayrton Senna beat Nigel Mansell to the line by fourteen thousandths of a second. F1 moved on to the newly built Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya after 1990, citing Jerez's remote location and limited spectator infrastructure, though the circuit returned briefly to host the European Grand Prix in 1994 and 1997.

A motorcycling stronghold

While its Formula 1 tenure was short, Jerez became one of motorcycle racing's most important venues. It has hosted the Spanish round of the grand prix motorcycle world championship, now MotoGP, in most seasons since 1987, traditionally as the series' first European round of the year, and its dry, sunny winters have made it one of the most heavily used pre-season test venues in Europe for both car and motorcycle championships. In May 2018 the circuit was renamed Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto in honour of the Spanish motorcycling legend, who died the previous year.

Today

Jerez remains a fixture of the MotoGP calendar and hosts a round of the Superbike World Championship each autumn, alongside a busy programme of testing, track days and club racing. Its passionate local following, huge trackside campsites and a layout still capable of producing last-lap drama keep it among the most atmospheric stops on the motorcycle racing calendar.

Frequently asked questions

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