Four overseas events to start the season become history and our European tour begins. MotoGP™ has been nothing short of Faster, Forward, Fearless in 2025 with storylines, clashes, rivalries and surprises all featuring but this is where the season really gets into its stride. Starting in the Iberian Peninsula, one of the most historic battlegrounds gets us underway: Jerez, Spain. The Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto has seen just about everything in its time on the calendar and if last year’s gloves-off scrap is anything to go by, 2025 will be another history maker.
ANOTHER CLASSIC ON THE HORIZON?
Retaking the Championship lead last time out under the lights with a double in the desert, Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) leads the way by 17 points over his brother Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP). Both head to their home Grand Prix and both are set to be in contention for victory. It’s a bittersweet track for Marc, winner at Jerez three times in the premier class but then the site of his career-defining arm injury in 2020. Having nearly settled the score with the track last year but beaten by current teammate Francesco Bagnaia, is another head-to-head on the cards in 2025? Pecco trails Alex Marquez by nine points after his fight through the field on Sunday night in Qatar and with him being the winner of the Spanish Grand Prix for the last three seasons, can he repeat his performance from last year and defeat his teammate in another head-to-head?
STARS OF 2025 IN CONTENTION
Inside the top four in all Grands Prix so far in 2025, it really has been a rebirth of form for Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team); the Italian was P4 in the Sprint at Jerez in 2024 and has a podium from 2021 to his name. The #21 led more laps than anyone else at Lusail on Sunday and will be a dark horse for Round 5. Johann Zarco’s (CASTROL Honda LCR) giant-killing performances haven’t gone unrewarded as he’s sixth in the standings and looking to make a splash at the track where Honda were competitive at in 2024. He’s just behind Morbidelli’s teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio, who after a Qatar Grand Prix to forget, seeks redemption in Andalusia, having won at Jerez in 2021’s Moto2™ Grand Prix.
HOME HEROES
Besides the Marquez brothers, there’s a raft of Spanish stars for the fans to get behind. Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) was back to his best and looking competitive at Lusail and despite his P2 being stripped away for a tyre pressure infringement, he’ll hope to be a feature at the front again. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) gears up for his home Grand Prix after an improved Sunday at Lusail whilst fellow Murcian rider Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) was outstanding under the lights and came away with top five finishes in both the Grand Prix and the Sprint.
Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) is starting to find his form again whilst the likes of Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) and Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) add to a strong force of full-time home riders. Unfortunately, Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) is out injured after a crash on his return at Lusail, so Lorenzo Savadori steps in again. Whether Augusto Fernandez once again replaces Portuguese rider Miguel Oliveira at Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP is yet to be confirmed.
DON’T RULE THEM OUT
Steps forward for Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) showcased the #20 back in the podium fight in Qatar and Jerez is the place of his first MotoGP victory in 2020. Aprilia duo Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) and Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) hope for a revival after a miserable Lusail, although both found gains in Sunday’s Grand Prix. Bezzecchi was on the podium at Jerez last year, whilst Ogura clinched Moto2 honours in 2022.
Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) has been consistent and scored points in every Grand Prix thus far in 2025 and hopes to keep that streak running, whilst you can never rule out Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), with the South African on the rostrum two years ago. Fellow KTM star Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) was fifth last year at Jerez and if he can qualify better, may be able to repeat his top ten performances. A first round without points for Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) is something he’ll have forgotten quickly, as he heads to Jerez where he was on the podium in 2023 and a winner in 2021. Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) continues his quest for his and Thailand’s first MotoGP points.
Marc’s made his mark in 2025 but his teammate now arrives at one of his most successful circuits on the calendar; 2024’s Spanish Grand Prix was up there with many classics before – 2013, 2005, 1996 and more. If last year was the trailer, 2025 movie is going to be spectacular. Jerez always delivers but will it be a perfect homecoming for the #93 or a fourth straight Jerez victory for the #63? Don’t miss a lap of the Gran Premio Estrella Galicia 0,0 de España!
What's happening in Jerez?
Lots! After a photo op with the Copa del Rey for a number of riders, the press conference will take place at 16:00 on Thursday, with Marc Marquez, Alex Marquez, Francesco Bagnaia and Franco Morbidelli.
Later at 17:45 on Thursday there's also a special lap led by Pedro Acosta joined by hundreds of fans and rounded off by the MotoGP Safety Car. That's at the track before heading off from the venue on the classic Red Bull parade.
There are plenty of activities from title sponsor Estrella Galicia 0,0 too, and the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup gets in gear for 2025.
Moto2™: Canet seeks payback as new Championship leader
P14 on Lap 1 to victory in Qatar was undoubtedly one of Aron Canet’s (Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO) greatest Grand Prix performances, and after Jake Dixon’s (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) DNF last time out, the Spaniard arrives in Jerez as the Moto2 title race leader.
Canet also has a score to settle with the iconic Andalusian layout. In 2024, the #44 suffered a left fibula fracture that saw him miss the race in front of his home crowd, so a revenge mission will be on as he seeks to stay at the summit of the Moto2 Championship. However, after a P3 finish in Jerez last year, Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) might be considered the pre-weekend favourite as the Spaniard aims to back up his P3 in Qatar with another strong showing on home turf.
The aforementioned Dixon will be hungry to right the wrongs of Qatar, while standout rookie Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) visits Jerez for the first time in Moto2 knowing he’s P4 in the standings. That debut rostrum in the class surely isn’t far away, and there would be no better place to collect a first Moto2 trophy than at the Spanish GP.
Who else to look out for? Well, in truth, plenty of riders. Can Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) challenge for another podium? The Turk was on form in Lusail, as were Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) and Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO) the last time we went racing. Joe Roberts (American Racing Team) finished P2 in Jerez last year, so the American will be hoping 2025’s visit can kick-start his campaign.
It's a track everyone knows like the back of their hand, so the competition could be closer than ever this weekend. Who wins? Who knows. Just the way we like it.
Moto3™: Piqueras leads Rueda by a point as Jerez beckons
We’re four Grands Prix in and two winners have emerged in Moto3 – Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) and Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo). Two wins apiece and one point splitting the two Spaniards is how it stands heading to the Spanish GP, so who will leave Jerez with the upper hand?
Rueda’s unfortunate late mechanical issue forced the #99 into a DNF in Qatar, which meant his podium run came to an end. And after beating Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) by 0.009s on the run to the line, Piqueras made sure it’s him who leads the title charge by a point ahead of the duo’s home Grand Prix. Rueda missed last year’s race while he was still recovering from appendicitis, while Piqueras finished in P10 – so both have debut Moto3 Jerez podium ambitions this weekend.
David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) was a podium finisher in Jerez last season, and after collecting his first points of the season in Qatar, the Spaniard will be aiming for more in front of his home fans. Furusato’s first podium of the season could be the catalyst for the Japanese star to mount a title tilt, and speaking of Japanese stars, Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) will be eager to build on his first rostrum of the season too.
Joel Kelso (LEVELUP – MTA Team) comes into the Spanish GP third in the overall standings and after missing out on a second podium in a row by 0.055s (and the win by 0.097s), the Australian will undoubtedly be a threat once more. Elsewhere, after a P12 in Austin and a DNF in Qatar, fourth in the Championship Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) will be desperate to respond on home soil.In truth, so many names will be fancying their chances this weekend as we get set for another spellbinding weekend of Moto3 action at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto.
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