MotoGP 2025 Spanish Grand Prix: Preview
- Finn Glover
- 4 hours ago
- 4 min read
Written by Finn Glover, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
Once a Formula One classic, now a MotoGP mainstay, Jerez has surmounted itself as the home of Spanish motorbike racing. It remains one of MotoGP’s most iconic and venerated venues to this day, and race week in Jerez is like race week like no other.
So what better way to start MotoGP’s marathon European season? Get ready for some action in the sizzling heat of Southern Spain, for the first of four Spanish races of the season.
The Spanish Grand Prix: Circuito de Jerez- Angel Nieto
At just 4.428 km (2.751 miles), Jerez is one of MotoGP’s much shorter tracks; yet it remains one of the most dramatic. Relatively unchanged since 1989, the track is steeped in history and memories, including crashes, battles, weather, and some of the most iconic fan scenes in MotoGP history.
The track is composed of 13 varying types of corners, the majority named after MotoGP legends such as Criville, Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo. Most of these are long and flowing turns, leaving little room for straights and making overtaking an extra tricky challenge. Yet when it’s done, it's ever the more spectacular.
Possibly the most iconic corner is the final one. Turn 12, Curva Jorge Lorenzo, has proven unlucky for some, with MotoGP’s titans often going head to head into the final corner, and on many occasions, the final lap. Rossi vs Gibernau, Márquez vs Bagnaia are among them. Jerez, despite its narrowness, continues to provide unbelievable drama.
Practically every motorsport series is drawn to the Andalusian haven of Jerez, including testing for MotoGP; so the track surface here is extremely clean and many of the riders have completed thousands of laps here, making it a much more ‘simple’ challenge than the likes of the Americas or Asian tracks.
Past Results
Who can forget last year’s edition of the Spanish Grand Prix? Last time out, it was the first time we saw Marc Márquez truly back to his old self, in the bright blue of Gresini, as he went head to head (and paint to paint) with deep foe, and now teammate, Pecco Bagnaia. The two tussled, but ultimately Bagnaia came out on top.
That was also the same feat in the prior two editions to that; 2023 and 2022. In 2023, he outrode the KTM’s, and in 2022, he totally outclassed the field with a superlative win. It marks a formidable run of results for Bagnaia in Márquez’s backyard, possibly presupposing a tantalising spectacle to come this weekend.
Pre-Injury Márquez was also a formidable beast at Jerez, claiming three victories in 2014, 2018 and 2019. Back then, it was a Honda/Yamaha track; yet the past four years have been dictated by Ducati power, marking ominous signs for this weekend, in a season of Ducati continuing to exceed the highest of expectations.
And with the track always holding its traditional end-of-April slot, it often provides a valid form guide of what to expect come the rest of the season. So, if Ducati dominate and end up lapping the whole field, maybe be a bit worried! But if it's close, get ready for a season-long brawl.
The weather for the weekend is expected to hover around 30 degrees Celsius, again, very similar to the past few years, meaning that Bagnaia is possibly the bookies' favourite if the past three years are anything to go by.
It also means that there shouldn’t be a repeat of the sprint shenanigans of 2024, where over half the field crashed down due to damp patches, in what was quite frankly a ridiculous carnage-fest of a race.
Key Notices
Whilst Ducati run away undeterred into the Spanish sunset, the battle for 2nd in the MotoGP manufacturers' championship remains closer than ever seen before in the premier class. The four other manufacturers, Honda, Aprilia, KTM and Yamaha, remain separated by just seven points, in what is an incredible set of results.
Augusto Fernández will continue to stand in for Pramac Yamaha’s Miguel Oliveira, who continues to recover after a horrible collision with Gresini’s Fermín Aldeguer in Argentina.
And for this weekend, there’s a new (returning) rider replacement; with Lorenzo Savadori back to replace Jorge Martín, after his return to racing in Qatar went less than ideal, after crashing horribly at the triple-apexed turn 12, suffering multiple rib fractures and a hemopneumothorax, with the champ expected to be out for some time.
As per usual, Jerez also welcomes the opportunity to introduce test riders, with Aleix Espargaro making his debut for the HRC test team, looking to provide valid data for the Japanese squad.
Marc Márquez has regained a significant championship lead after brother Alex’s Qatar mishaps, and he will be looking to extend his 17-point lead come this weekend. It remains a Ducati 1-2-3-4-5 in the championship, with the first non-Ducati rider being LCR’s Johann Zarco down in sixth.
So as the European leg kicks off, get ready for five months of action around some of Europe’s most venerated and beautiful racetracks. Here in Jerez, will Márquez continue his red-hot run of form, or will Bagnaia continue to abide by the form books and dominate come Sunday?
Tune in to find out. Race start: 2 pm BST!
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