After an intense start to the season with four rounds overseas, it is now time for the 2025 MotoGP™ World Championship to start its European tour, and the first stop of Red Bull KTM Tech3 will be nowhere else than at the iconic Circuito de Jerez - Ángel Nieto, which will host the Gran Premio de España, round 5 of an already thrilling campaign.
Grand Prix of Spain
Enea Bastianini will be looking forward to continuing his adaptation to the KTM RC16 on a track where he had good results in the past, with a top 5 last season. The Italian has been improving his performances round after round, often ending his weekends with a strong race in the main event to score points from the back of the grid. However, the number 23 is looking to improve his performance on one fast lap, which will allow him to start more ahead to get better chances to fight at the front. On the other side, we will have Maverick Viñales looking forward to jumping back on the RC16 after an outstanding race in Qatar which saw him cross the finish line in 2nd, before taking a 16 second-penalty due to low tyre pressure. That does not take away the astonishing performance from the number 12 on what was only round 4 with the Red Bull KTM Tech3 squad. He will be arriving in Jerez with the confidence from Doha, as he looks forward to continuing improving on the KTM. Then the team will stay in Andalusia for one more day after the race, with an important test day on Monday.
We’re back on your time zone if you are from Europe! Do not miss the action of the first round of the tour in Europe with Friday’s action kicking off at 10:45 (UTC+2) followed by Practice at 15:00. Can Viñales make it to Q2 for the third time in a row? Can Bastianini get closer to the front guys on one fast lap? Once we have found this out, the top boys will return on track on Saturday with Free Practice 2 at 10:10, followed immediately by the qualifying sessions from 10:50. At 15:00, the squad will line up for 12 laps of madness in the Tissot Sprint, before getting back at it the following day on Sunday, with the main event starting at 14:00 local time (25 laps)!
ENEA BASTIANINI: "We have made good improvements in the last round in Qatar, which I am looking forward to exploiting this weekend in Jerez. We could understand the potential of the bike with Maverick's performance at the last round, so it gives me confidence that we can reach that point too. We will see how we feel on Friday, and go from there for the rest of the weekend. The test on Monday will be important too, we will have more time to focus on the details that we don't have time to work on during the race weekends, so I am curious to be at the test."
MAVERICK VIÑALES: "We enjoyed our weekend in Doha a lot, the bike was working well and I felt competitive and fast all weekend, so for sure we are arriving at Jerez, a track that I enjoy a lot, with good confidence. I am super excited to jump back on the bike and continue the work we have been doing since the start of the season. We have been making important steps lately, and I know that we will continue making more as we move forward in the season. We also have the test on Monday which will be very important for us, so I can't wait to go to Jerez!"
NIOLAS GOYON, Team Manager: "We are ready to start the European tour with the traditional Gran Premio de Espana held at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto. In the last two years, our bike has performed well, with two KTM bikes on the sprint podium last season, and two KTMs on the podium in 2023, so we can’t hide our excitement to see both our Red Bull KTM Tech3 riders hit Jerez this year. The last race in Doha was a rollercoaster of emotions for us, but we keep in mind Maverick Viñales’ astonishing performance as he crossed the line in 2nd. Since something clicked in Argentina’s race, Maverick has kept improving his feeling on the bike session after session, and I am sure that we can expect a strong weekend from him, added to the extra motivation to race at home in Spain. Enea Bastianini continues to follow his adaptation to the KTM, and I am confident that he will make a strong step as we start European races. We will then have an important test on Monday, which will be a great opportunity for both Maverick and Enea to try different configurations to improve their packages and make another step on the RC16."
ABOUT THE TRACK
Built in 1986 and hosting its first Grand Prix one year later, the Circuit de Jerez - Ángel Nieto is now one of the most popular MotoGP™ venues of the calendar, and the focal point for a city fanatical about sport. Set in a slight valley in the south of Spain, Jerez is blessed with consistently good weather and beautiful scenery, its numerous grandstands providing the perfect viewing facilities for up to 250,000 spectators. With two alternative road circuits (4,423m and 4,428m), which were resurfaced during 2005, Jerez is a popular venue used by many race teams for testing throughout the year, whilst its recently updated corporate and media facilities have proven to be a popular addition to the complex. Other facilities such as the control tower and pit boxes have also been vastly improved over the last year. The passion of motorcycle racing fans always provide us with a special atmosphere, making it one very special stop on the calendar for Spanish riders.
TRACK RECORDS
All Time Record: 2024 - F. Bagnaia (ITA) - 1'36.025 - 165.8 km/h
Best Race Lap: 2024 - F. Bagnaia (ITA) - 1'37.449 - 163.3 km/h
Best Pole: 2022 - F. Bagnaia (ITA) - 1'36.170 - 165.5 km/h
Top Speed: 2021 - J. Zarco (FRA) - 300.8 km/h
