• The first European round of the World Championship MotoGP ™ delivered a stunning spectacle at the Jerez circuit in Andalusia.
• fabio quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) took advantage of the tire package offered by Michelin Motorsport, setting the new absolute record for the circuit, in 1'35.610.
• All time marks have been improved, demonstrating the ability of Michelin tires to enhance the developments of Grand Prix motorcycles.
The Jerez-Angel Nieto Circuit was the scene of several motorsport highlights during this last weekend of April in Andalusia, where summer heat reigned relentlessly. A fixture on the MotoGP calendar since 1987, the Spanish round at Jerez, the championship's first in Europe this season, broke attendance records with a total of 224 spectators, including more than 420 on Sunday alone.
At 4,423 kilometers long, the Andalusian circuit is well known to all, with Michelin regularly organizing tests there, like those planned for this Monday, April 28, as part of the development of the 2026 tires. It is a technical and winding track, which includes thirteen turns – five left and eight right – as well as two relatively short straights (just over 600 m). It is the kind of track where the tire is never pushed to its limits, but where it never rests.
« We have just experienced an exceptional weekend, where everything came together to make this Grand Prix a memorable event." indicated Piero Taramasso, Two-Wheel Competition Manager at Michelin. The number of spectators, the atmosphere, the intensity of the races and the use of our tires were the building blocks of this great collective success. From Fabio Quartararo's pole position on Saturday morning to Alex Marquez's first Grand Prix victory on Sunday afternoon, our tires demonstrated exceptional performance on a white-hot track. Seeing all the reference times trending downwards underlines that the bikes have progressed further, and that our tires are true allies in allowing our partners to showcase their work. The package we prepared for coming to Jerez worked perfectly, and I sincerely believe that we couldn't have dreamed of a better outcome. The rest of the season promises to be magnificent, the next round is Michelin, in France, and we are more determined than ever to do even better."
For the Gran Premio Estrella Galicia 0,0 de España 2024, Michelin has offered its partners a MICHELIN Power Slick range consisting of three symmetrical compounds (Soft, Medium, Hard) for the front tire, and two asymmetrical compounds, with the right side reinforced (Soft and Medium) for the rear wheel.
On Saturday, during the Tissot Sprint, all the riders opted for the versatile character of the Medium tire for the front, and took advantage of the ability to get the last tenth of the Soft compound for the rear, with the exception of Johan Zarco (LCR Honda) who opted for a Medium tire also in the running.
The following day, during the Grand Prix, the Medium-Medium strategy proved optimal, allowing everyone to maintain a sustained pace from the first to the last lap, while preserving consistency of performance without suffering the effects of wear, even at the end of the race.
The Tissot Sprint was won by Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team), ahead of his brother Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing), and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team).
The Grand Prix saw the victory of Alex Marquez (ahead of Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) and Francesco Bagnaia.
The new records
During Friday's practice, Marc Marquez had already set a new benchmark of 1:35.991. But it was French driver Fabio Quartararo who had the final say the following day, stopping his qualifying lap at just 1:35.610, erasing Francesco Bagnaia's record of 1:36.025, set a year earlier.
On Saturday afternoon, the Tissot Sprint time was improved by more than 20 seconds, to 19:32.107, compared to 19:52.862 in 2024. This improvement should be put into perspective because last year the track bore the scars of the previous day's rain, and wet areas persisted in places. The increase in pace was, however, confirmed with the Grand Prix, whose time was also improved (40:56.374 compared to 40:58.053 in 2024) under equal track conditions, or even slightly unfavorable given the very hot track surface (43°C at the time of the start).
The best lap in the Tissot Sprint, set by Marc Marquez, was 1'36.665, compared to 1'37.812, a time also set by the Spanish driver in 2024.
In Grand Prix racing, the fastest lap record has also been broken. The benchmark is now 1'37.339 (compared to 1'37.449 in 2024), and it is the work of Alex Marquez, with the 2024 record being set by Francesco Bagnaia.
The next round of the MotoGP World Championship will take place at Le Mans. It will be the Michelin® French Grand Prix, which will take place from May 9 to 11.
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