Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto (formerly known as Circuito de Jerez and Circuito de Velocidad Jerez), is a racing circuit located close to the city of

Jerez de la Frontera Jerez de la Frontera () or simply Jerez, also cited in old English-language sources as , is a city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the province of Cádiz in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Sp ...

, south of

Seville Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...

and deep within the

sherry Sherry ( ) is a fortified wine produced from white grapes grown around the city of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, Spain. Sherry is a drink produced in a variety of styles made primarily from the Palomino grape, ranging from light versio ...

-producing region in the south of Spain. The project was led by the Spanish engineer Manuel Medina Lara, based on a preliminary idea from Alessandro Rocci.

Circuit history

The circuit opened on 8 December 1985. During 1986 the circuit hosted the first international motorcycle event in Spain in March and the

Formula One Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...

Spanish Grand Prix The Spanish Grand Prix (, ) is a Formula One motor racing event currently held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The race is one of the oldest in the world still contested, celebrating its centenary in 2013. The race had modest beginnings ...

in April. The circuit's relatively remote location hindered significant spectator turnout, although up to 125,000 can be accommodated. Because of this, F1 moved to

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

following the 1990 race. In 1992, the track eliminated four corners to create the long right hander ''Curva Sito Pons''. Due to the hosting of the

European Grand Prix The European Grand Prix (also known as the Grand Prix of Europe) was a Formula One event that was introduced during the mid-1980s and was held every year from to , except in . During these years, the European Grand Prix was held in a countr ...

in 1994, a new chicane was created (the ''Senna'' curve) at the corner where Martin Donnelly had a career-ending accident during qualifying for the

1990 Spanish Grand Prix The 1990 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Jerez on 30 September 1990. It was the fourteenth race of the 1990 Formula One World Championship, and the fifth and last Spanish Grand Prix to be held at Jerez (though the circui ...

. Jerez also hosted the

1997 European Grand Prix The 1997 European Grand Prix (formally the XLII European Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race held on 26 October 1997 at the Circuito Permanente de Jerez, Spain. Originally scheduled as the Portuguese Grand Prix at the Estoril circuit, ...

, which was the championship decider between

Michael Schumacher Michael Schumacher (; born 3 January 1969) is a German former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to and from to . Schumacher won a record-setting seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, tied by Lewis Hamilton in ...

and

Jacques Villeneuve Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve (; born 9 April 1971) is a Canadian former racing driver, who competed in IndyCar from 1994 PPG Indy Car World Series, 1994 to 1995 PPG Indy Car World Series, 1995, and Formula One from to . Villeneuve won t ...

, who collided during the race. During the podium celebrations of the 1997 race, Jerez's Mayor Pedro Pacheco disrupted the podium celebrations by presenting a trophy that was supposed to be presented by a dignitary from Daimler-Benz. This incident resulted in the track being banned from hosting a Grand Prix ever. It has not hosted another Grand Prix since, but continued to be used for winter testing until 2015. During 2005, the track was resurfaced. It was expected that the

Champ Car World Series Champ Car World Series (CCWS) was the series sanctioned by Open-Wheel Racing Series Inc., a sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing that operated from 2004 to 2008. It was the successor to Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART), ...

would race there in

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

until the series was cancelled early in the year after merging with the

IndyCar Series The IndyCar Series, officially known as the NTT IndyCar Series for sponsorship reasons, is the highest class of American open-wheel car racing in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices of various sanctioning bodies sinc ...

On 2 May 2013, it was announced that the final corner would be renamed after Spanish then four-time and reigning world champion (250cc -

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

; MotoGP -

2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

)

Jorge Lorenzo Jorge Lorenzo Guerrero (; born 4 May 1987) is a Spanish former professional Grand Prix motorcycle racing, motorcycle racer. He is a five-time World Champion, with three List of 500cc/MotoGP Motorcycle World Champions, MotoGP World Championships ...

. In 2017, FIA Formula 2 hosted a stand-alone event on October 7 and 8 at the circuit. On 3 May 2018, the circuit was renamed in honor of the former motorcyclist

Ángel Nieto Ángel Nieto Roldán (25 January 1947 – 3 August 2017) was a Spanish professional Grand Prix motorcycle racer. He was one of the most accomplished motorcycle racers in the history of the sport, winning 13 World Championships and 90 Grand Prix ...

, who died in 2017. On 3 May 2019, the sixth corner (formerly ''Curva Dry Sac'') was renamed after

Dani Pedrosa Daniel Pedrosa Ramal (born 29 September 1985) is a Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle racing, Grand Prix motorcycle racer who retired from regular competition after the season. He grew up in Castellar del Vallès, a village near Sabadell. He is a ...

, retired three-time world champion (125cc -

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

; 250cc -

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

) and three-time runner-up in the MotoGP class.

Layout history

Events

; Current * February: Eurocup-3 Spanish Winter Championship, F4 Spanish Winter Championship * March: * April:

Grand Prix motorcycle racing Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the highest class of motorcycle road racing events held on Road racing, road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held sin ...

Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix The Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix is a motorcycling event that is part of the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing season that takes place at Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto outside Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia. In addition to this event, th ...

'',

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup The Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup is a motorcycle racing series contested by young, up-and-coming motorcycle riders, who have not had experience in a Motorcycle Grand Prix, motorcycle grand prix previously. The class was founded in 2007, and since t ...

* June:

FIM JuniorGP World Championship FIM JuniorGP World Championship is a junior class race event organized by Dorna Sports under FIM regulations. It runs under Moto3 regulations and acts as an Moto3 World Championship feeder. This class is restricted to single-cylinder 250 cc fou ...

FIM Moto2 European Championship FIM Moto2 European Championship is a motorcycle racing competition intended for young racers in Europe. This competition is organized by Dorna Sports, Dorna, which also runs the competition MotoGP, and Superbike World Championship. Moto2 was init ...

* September:

Eurocup-3 Eurocup-3 is a formula racing series regulated according to Formula Regional regulations. The series is founded for levelling up the competition for all drivers, with each team committing on a maximum budget of €400,000 every season. History ...

F4 Spanish Championship The F4 Spanish Championship () is an FIA Formula 4 racing series. The championship was planned to launch in 2015, though the inaugural season was cancelled and delayed until 2016. Koiranen GP was the promoter of the championship for the first tw ...

, Campeonato de España de GT, , * October:

Superbike World Championship Superbike World Championship (also known as WorldSBK, SBK, World Superbike, WSB, or WSBK) is a silhouette road racing series based on heavily modified production sports motorcycles. The championship was founded in . The Superbike World Champion ...

Supersport World Championship The Supersport World Championship, abbreviated to WorldSSP, is a motorcycle racing competition on hard-surfaced circuits, based on mid-sized sports motorcycles. Competition machines were originally based on production-based motorcycles with 600& ...

Supersport 300 World Championship The Supersport 300 World Championship (or short abbreviated as WorldSSP300) is a motorcycle racing competition on paved surfaces, for production-based motorcycles. Created in 2017, the championship runs as a support class to the Superbike World C ...

, FIM Women's Motorcycling World Championship * November: , , ; Former *

BPR Global GT Series The BPR Global GT Series (sometimes referred to as the BPR Global GT Endurance Series or simply abbreviated as BPR) was a grand tourer-based sports car racing series which ran from 1994 to 1996 before becoming the FIA GT Championship in 1997. The ...

(1995) * Eurocup Clio (2014) * Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 (2014–2015) *

Euroformula Open Championship The Euroformula Open Championship (formerly the Spanish Formula Three Championship, European F3 Open Championship) is a junior formula racing series based in Spain. It was one of six national and international Formula Three championships in Europe ...

(2013–2018) *

Euroseries 3000 Auto GP, sometimes referred to as the Auto GP World Series and formerly known as both Euro Formula 3000 and the Euroseries 3000, was a European formula racing series. The series' roots can be traced back to 1999 and the Italian Formula 3000 serie ...

(2002–2004, 2008) * Ferrari Challenge Europe (2016, 2024) *

FIA Formula 2 Championship The FIA Formula 2 Championship (F2) is a second-tier single-seater championship organized by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Held on road racing, racing circuits, the championship was introduced in 2017, following the re ...

(2017) *

FIM Endurance World Championship The Endurance World Championship ( FIM EWC) is the premier worldwide endurance championship in motorcycle road racing. The championship season consists of a series of endurance races (with a duration of six, eight, twelve or twenty-four hours) ...

(1986–1987) * FIM Intercontinental Games (2024) *

** ''

'' (1994, 1997) ** ''

'' (1986–1990) * Formula Renault 2.0 Alps (2014–2015) * Formula Winter Series (2023–2024) *

French F4 Championship French F4 Championship, formerly known as Formula Renault Campus France, Formula Campus, Formul'Academy Euro Series, F4 Eurocup 1.6 is a form of open wheel racing founded in 1993 by Louis Drouet. It is based in France and aims at karting gradua ...

(2014, 2018) *

GP3 Series The GP3 Series, or GP3 for short, was a single-seater motor racing series launched in 2010 as a feeder series for the GP2 Series, introduced by GP2 organiser Bruno Michel. GP3 followed the entire European leg of the Formula One series and the ...

(2017) *

** '' Andalusian motorcycle Grand Prix'' (2020) ** ''

Expo 92 motorcycle Grand Prix The 1988 "Expo 92" Grand Prix was the fourth race of the 1988 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 29 April–1 May 1988 at the Circuito Permanente de Jerez. While the race is called the EXPO 92 Grand Prix, the rac ...

'' (1987) *

International Formula 3000 The Formula 3000 International Championship was a motor racing series created by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) in 1985 to become the final preparatory step for drivers hoping to enter Formula One. Formula Two had become to ...

(1988–1991, 1997) *

International GT Open The International GT Open is a grand tourer-style sports car racing series founded in 2006 by the Spanish GT Sport Organización. It was a spin-off of the now-defunct Spanish GT Championship, but is now a distinct series featuring FIA GT3-spec ...

(2013–2014) * Lamborghini Super Trofeo World Final (2019, 2024) *

MotoE World Cup The FIM Enel MotoE World Championship (formerly known as the MotoE World Cup) is a class of motorcycle racing that uses only electric motorcycles. The series is sanctioned by the FIM and the inaugural season in 2019 was due to support MotoGP ...

** ''Spanish eRace'' (2020–2022) *

Renault Sport Trophy The Renault Sport Trophy was a One-Design, one-make racing series created and managed by Renault Sport. The series has raced with the Renault Sport R.S. 01 in 2015 and 2016 as part of the Renault Sport Series (formerly World Series by Renault), b ...

(2015) *

Sidecar World Championship FIM Sidecar World Championship is the international sidecar racing championship. It is the only remaining original Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, FIM road racing championship class that started in 1949. It was formerly named Supersi ...

(1987–1988, 1990–1992) *

Superleague Formula Superleague Formula was an Open wheel car, open wheel single seater Formula racing, motor racing formula, which started in 2008, at Donington Park in the United Kingdom. The league introduced team sponsorship by association football clubs. It u ...

(2008) *

TCR Europe Touring Car Series The TCR Europe Touring Car Series is an annual touring car racing event that is held at various locations across Europe. The series is run in accordance with the TCR Touring Car regulations with production-based cars that are front-wheel drive and ...

(2016) *

World Series Formula V8 3.5 The World Series Formula V8 3.5, formerly the World Series by Nissan from 1998 to 2004, the Formula Renault 3.5 Series from 2005 to 2015 and the Formula V8 3.5 in 2016 and 2017, was a motor racing series promoted by RPM Racing (1998–2004) and R ...

(1998–1999, 2004, 2014–2017) *

World Sportscar Championship The World Sportscar Championship was the world Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance racing series run for sports car racing, sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), from 1953 World Sportscar Championship, 1953 t ...

(1986–1988)

Lap records

The all-time outright track record is 1:15.651, set by

Pedro de la Rosa Pedro Martínez de la Rosa (; born 24 February 1971) is a Spanish former racing driver, motorsport executive and broadcaster, who competed in Formula One between and . In Japanese motorsport, de la Rosa won the Formula Nippon Championship a ...

in a

McLaren MP4-20 The McLaren MP4-20 was the car with which the McLaren team competed in the 2005 Formula One World Championship. The chassis was designed by Adrian Newey, Paddy Lowe, Pat Fry, Mike Coughlan and Peter Prodromou with Mario Illien designing the b ...

, during Formula One testing in April 2005. As of April 2025, the fastest official race lap records at the Circuito de Jerez are listed as:

Weather and climate

Jerez racetrack is located near the airport where the city's official weather station is located. The site has a hot-summer

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Csa'' with mild and rainy winters coupled with hot summers with pronounced drought. As a result, all of Jerez' Formula One and MotoGP races have been held during shoulder seasons when the air temperatures normally are gentler. The current placement of the MotoGP event in early May has reduced rainfall risk compared to the previous April date, as well as raising the likely average temperature by several degrees. Formula One races used to be held in latter parts of the autumn, but were discontinued after 1997. Jerez used to be a primary winter testing venue for Formula One and remains so for both MotoGP and the

, in part due to the favourable temperatures in winter mimicking potential conditions during the race season farther north in Europe even in January.

Fatalities

* Dean Berta Viñales, 15, Spanish motorcycle racer, crashed 25 September 2021. * Ismael Bonilla, 41, Spanish motorcycle racer, crashed 5 July 2020. *Marcos Garrido, 14, Spanish motorcycle racer, crashed March 2019. * Nobuyuki Wakai, 25, Japanese motorcycle racer, crashed 1 May 1993. *Javier Moreno, 21, Spanish motorcycle racer, crashed 1990.

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jerez Formula One circuits Grand Prix motorcycle circuits Spanish Grand Prix Motorsport venues in Andalusia Superbike World Championship circuits Buildings and structures in Jerez de la Frontera Sports venues in Andalusia Sport in Jerez de la Frontera FIM Women's Motorcycling World Championship circuits