Located in the heart of Andalusia, in southern Spain, the Circuito de Jerez stands as one of the most iconic venues on the MotoGP calendar. Inaugurated in 1986, it has hosted the World Championship without interruption since 1987, making it one of the most enduring circuits in the discipline’s history.
A benchmark circuit for teams as well as for the women and men of Michelin, Jerez is also a preferred testing ground, regularly used for development sessions. This in-depth knowledge of the track makes it a strategic venue, where every detail matters.
At 4.423 kilometres in length, the circuit features a demanding, technical and twisty layout, with thirteen corners – five left and eight right – as well as two relatively short straights, the longest of which barely exceeds 600 metres.
Each year, Jerez attracts tens of thousands of passionate fans, drawn by an atmosphere that is both intense and welcoming. At the last edition, the venue welcomed 224,420 spectators, including more than 101,000 on Sunday alone, confirming its status as a premier circuit.
Piero Taramasso, Two-Wheel Motorsport Manager, Michelin Motorsport
“Both the teams and ourselves are very happy to return to Jerez for the first European race of the calendar. This round is set to be particularly revealing of everyone’s true level. The circuit is very well known to the teams, who regularly organise private or official tests there with our support.
In addition, our annual presence allows us to gather a significant amount of data, making it easier to select a tyre package finely tuned to the needs of our partners. We are also delighted to meet the Jerez fans again, always very numerous in Andalusia, for a race with very specific characteristics.
The track is not particularly demanding in terms of wear, top speeds are moderate, but it places continuous stress on our tyres, with no real recovery phase, both front and rear. Thanks to our knowledge of the venue, we have chosen to carry over the same compounds as in 2025, while removing the Hard compound at the front, which was not used at the previous edition.”
For the 2026 Gran Premio Estrella Galicia 0,0 de España, Michelin will offer its partners a MICHELIN Power Slick range featuring two compounds (Soft and Medium) for both the front and rear tyres. The front tyres are all symmetrical, while the rears are asymmetrical, with a harder right-hand side to cope with slightly higher stress on that side.
In wet conditions, the MICHELIN Power Rain range will be available in Soft and Medium compounds for both front and rear. These tyres are also asymmetrical, with a harder right-hand side, similar to the slick range.
Schedule for the Estrella Galicia 0,0 Grand Prix of Spain
At Jerez, on-track action will begin on Friday, April 24, at 10:45 a.m. (local time) with Free Practice 1 (45 minutes). A second session, this time qualifying (with the top 10 going directly to Q2), will take place at 3:00 p.m. for one hour. The following day, after Free Practice 2, Qualifying sessions will be held in two phases between 10:50 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. The top two riders from Q1 will also advance to Q2 (making a total of 12 riders). The Tissot Sprint race (12 laps) is scheduled for 3:00 p.m., while the Grand Prix will start on Sunday, April 26 at 2:00 p.m., over a distance of 25 laps.
