Circuito de Jerez - Ángel Nieto

Circuit guide by Chris Pollitt · dates updated 2 November 2026

Jerez opened in December 1985 on the road out towards Arcos, about 10 km east of Jerez de la Frontera. It held the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix in the late 1980s and the 1997 European GP, but these days it's a bike circuit at heart, with the Spanish MotoGP round every spring, and it now carries the name of Ángel Nieto, the 13-time world champion. The motorcycle layout is 4.423 km with 13 corners, eight of them right-handers, and a main straight of around 600 metres.

It's also the classic UK winter-sun destination. Organisers such as No Limits run multi-day trips in December and March, and race teams test here every winter for the same reason: when Britain is grey and wet, southern Spain is usually dry and mild. The lap flows beautifully, with fast, linked corners where it pays to be smooth. It isn't scary and the run-off is good, so it suits novices on their first trip abroad and quick club racers. Car days run too, often on the Grand Prix layout with the Senna chicane.

A lap of Circuito de Jerez - Ángel Nieto

Layout: Motorcycle Circuit, 4.423 km (2.75 miles)

The main straight is short, so Turn 1 (Expo 92) is a right that comes up quickly with a late, hard braking zone. Get a good exit, because it sets up the rest of the lap. Turn 2 (Michelin) is a slow right hairpin and the main overtaking spot, then it's a quick flick into the left at Turn 3 while the bike is still leaning right from the hairpin. Turn 4 is a fairly fast right after a very short straight.

Turn 5, Sito Pons, is a long, fast right-hander created in 1992. The bike is right over on its side and the track rises slightly before dropping onto the back straight, the longest on the circuit. Then you brake hard into Turn 6 (Dani Pedrosa, formerly Dry Sack), a tight right hairpin and one of the best places to pass. Watch for people diving up the inside.

Turns 7 and 8 are two long left-handers with a lot of lean angle. Your rear tyre will tell you how worn it is here, as it'll start spinning on the way out once it's past its best. Be gentle with the throttle through 8 and set up for Ángel Nieto and Peluqui, Turns 9 and 10, two linked rights you treat as one corner. The middle of them is bumpy, so get the entry right and keep it smooth.

Turns 11 (Crivillé) and 12 (Ferrari) are the fastest part of the lap, well over 200 km/h on a superbike, with little room for error. Commit and carry the speed. On the car layout, you brake for the Senna chicane here instead. Then Turn 13, Jorge Lorenzo, is a slow left hairpin onto the straight, with a difficult entry and exit. It's the place for last-corner passes in racing. For you, it's all about getting the bike stopped, turned and driving out hard.

Track day tips

• December to March is peak season for UK bike trips. Days are warm but mornings can be cold, so use tyre warmers and take a steady first lap.
• Turns 7 and 8 are long left-handers and wear the left side of the rear tyre. Bring a spare or book tyre support for a three-day trip.
• Turn 6 is the big stop on the lap. Get your braking done upright and expect riders to try passes up the inside.
• Car days often use the Grand Prix layout with the Senna chicane, so check which layout your event runs before you learn it.
• Bike transport from the UK for these trips usually can't carry fuel through France, so organisers sort fuel at the circuit.
• Jerez town has good restaurants and sherry bodegas, but the track day starts early. Save the late night for the last evening.

Getting there

The circuit is on the A-382 Jerez to Arcos road, at kilometre 10, a short drive from the A-4 motorway and about 10 km east of Jerez. Jerez airport is close by, but UK flights there are limited, so most people fly to Seville (around 90 km) or Malaga, with Gibraltar another option. UK bike organisers run van transport from the UK for their Jerez trips, so you can fly out and find your bike waiting in the garage. Jerez has plenty of hotels, and some people stay on the coast at El Puerto de Santa María or Cádiz.