Everything to know about the Spanish Grand Prix including Jerez track stats and previous winners

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The Grand Prix of Spain held exclusively at Jerez since 1989 is one of the blue riband races on the MotoGP calendar and has roots dating back to the first running in 1951.

Spain enjoys a grand history in the premier class of the world championship. Yet despite the country being home for legendary champions such as Jorge Lorenzo and Marc Marquez, the MotoGP calendar has not always had a Spanish Grand Prix (as it is also known) each season.

The premier class has also visited a myriad of circuits around the European country with the first Grand Prix of Spain held in 1951 at the Montjuic street circuit in Barcelona. The Circuito del Jarama north of Madrid also intermittently staged the Spanish GP until the 1988 season.

What is the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto like?

Jerez was officially renamed the Circuit de Jerez – Angel Nieto in 2018 in memory of the Spanish motorcycle legend Angel Nieto, who lifted six 50cc and seven 125cc FIM titles in his career. Nieto even won a total of 90 world championship Grands Prix and took 139 podiums.

MotoGP has raced at Jerez since the 1987 500cc world championship season, and the track has become a true fans’ favourite thanks to its design – plus the warm weather that normally greets them. Up to a massive 250,000 fans can also attend the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez.

Jerez is also among the favourite circuits that MotoGP teams test at thanks to the favourable weather, plus its fast and flowing layout with a mixture of tight corners and straights. Jerez is a technical circuit that rewards a smooth but also attacking riding style to maximise braking.

History of the MotoGP Grand Prix of Spain

The 500cc world championship first staged a Grand Prix of Spain in the 1951 season to start its third edition. It would also prove to be a historic race for more reasons than marking the series’ breakthrough in Spain as the 1951 running led to one of the slowest average speeds.

Umberto Masetti won the inaugural Spanish GP on a Gilera bike, setting an average speed of just 93.9km/h (58.3mph) after completing the race in 2:10:56.2. Two seasons later, the 1954 Spanish GP also saw Fergus Anderson become the oldest premier class race winner at 44.

It was also at the 1972 Spanish GP that Chas Mortimer scored Yamaha the Japanese brand’s first-ever premier class race win. The Briton’s and Yamaha’s historic victory came at Montjuic in the mountains that overlook Barcelona like Masetti and Anderson’s iconic results, as well.

Montjuic was the sole home for the Spanish GP from 1951-55 and held the 500cc race when the championship returned to Spain in 1968. But Montjuic lost its exclusivity thereafter with Jarama alternating with the track until 1976. Jarama even took full ownership from 1977-86.

But 1986 also saw the construction of a new track near the city of Jerez de la Frontera finish. The Circuito de Jerez even then held its debut Grand Prix of Spain in 1987 and Jarama would only hold one further running in 1988 before the premier class moved permanently to Jerez.

Wayne Gardner won the first Grand Prix of Spain at Jerez en route to the 1987 riders’ title

Wayne Gardner won the inaugural Grand Prix of Spain at Jerez in 1987 to go back-to-back at two different venues after also winning the 1986 Spanish GP at Jarama. His result at Jerez in 1987 was also Gardner’s first of seven wins the Australian scored en route to the riders’ title.

Giacomo Agostini was the first rider to win the 500cc class Grand Prix of Spain at Jarama in 1969 aboard his MV Agusta bike. In doing so, he also became the first rider to win back-to-back runnings of the Spanish Grand Prix as the Italian even triumphed at Montjuic in 1968.

It was not before Kenny Roberts won the Spanish GP in 1979 and 1980 at Jarama that a rider won back-to-back runnings at the same circuit. The American even won three on the spin as Roberts won the 1982 Spanish GP when the 500cc class returned to Jarama after a year out.

American riders dominated the Spanish GP from 1978-85, with Pat Hennen, Freddie Spencer and Eddie Lawson also picking up wins. A period of American and Australian dominance also followed from 1986-96 thanks to Gardner, Kevin Magee, Mick Doohan and Kevin Schwantz.

It was not until the 1995 Spanish GP at Jerez that a home rider won the race as Alberto Puig scored the only premier class win of the Barcelona native’s 125-start Grand Prix career. Yet it only took until 1997 for another as Alex Criville even won three Spanish Grands Prix in a row.

An Italian would close out the 500cc era and even launch the MotoGP era in 2001 and 2002, though, as Valentino Rossi won back-to-back-to-back Spanish Grands Prix. Fierce rival Sete Gibernau broke Rossi’s run by winning the 2004 meeting, but the Italian won a further four.

Puig, Criville and Gibernau marked the start of regular Spanish success at their home Grand Prix, however. Dani Pedrosa triumphed three times, Lorenzo scored three wins at Jerez and Marquez made the track a playground before a horrific crash in 2020 threatened his career.

A crash in the 2020 Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez almost forced Marc Marquez to retire

MotoGP kicked off its delayed 2020 season at Jerez after re-jigging its calendar owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. Marquez qualified in P3 for the 2020 Spanish GP and continued to hold third place near the end. But a huge highside at Turn 3 sent him tumbling through the gravel.

Marquez was pushing his Honda to the limits hounding Maverick Vinales for second place in the final four laps of the 2020 Grand Prix of Spain. But, as he rode the inside kerb for T3, the Cervera native’s RC213V bike violently snapped and shot Marquez into the air at high speed.

Upon landing, Marquez’s bike also hit the Spaniard in the back and caused the Honda ace to tumble through Jerez’s gravel trap. His crash resulted in Marquez breaking his right humerus and also twisting the bone by more than 30 degrees, requiring four operations in two years.

Even after the MotoGP icon completed his medically prescribed rehabilitation, Marquez did not feel comfortable with the arm he broke in the 2020 Spanish GP and considered retiring. Marquez even stated “I was afraid I would not have a normal arm” again such was the pain.

Winners of the MotoGP Grand Prix of Spain

Below, MotoGP News has listed every premier class rider to win the Grand Prix of Spain…