MotoGP readying to hit Jerez as round five beckons – MotoGP/2/3 Previews

After reclaiming the Championship lead with a double victory under lights in Qatar, Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) gets the European tour underway this weekend at Jerez with a 17-point advantage over his brother, Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP). Both head to their home Grand Prix firmly in the hunt for victory.

Jerez is a track of mixed memories for Marc, a three-time winner at the circuit in MotoGP, but also the site of his career-altering arm injury in 2020. He came close to settling the score last year but was narrowly beaten by current team-mate Francesco Bagnaia.

Bagnaia, who has won the Spanish Grand Prix for the past three seasons, trails Alex Marquez by just nine points following his determined charge through the field in Qatar. With momentum on his side at this venue, can Pecco once again emerge victorious and turn the tables on his teammate? If last year was the trailer, the 2025 edition will be spectacular.

Inside the top four in all Grands Prix so far in 2025, it really has been a rebirth of form for Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team); the Italian was fourth in the Sprint at Jerez in 2024 and has a podium from 2021 to his name. The VR46 rider led more laps than anyone else at Lusail on Sunday and will be a dark horse for Round 5.

Johann Zarco’s (CASTROL Honda LCR) giant-killing performances haven’t gone unrewarded as he’s sixth in the standings, the first non Ducati rider, and the Frenchman is looking to make a splash at the track where Honda were competitive at in 2024.

Zarco is just behind Morbidelli’s team-mate Fabio Di Giannantonio in the standings, the VR46 rider had a Qatar Grand Prix to forget and is seeking redemption in Andalusia, having won at Jerez in 2021’s Moto2 Grand Prix.

Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) was outstanding under the lights and came away with top five finishes in both the Grand Prix and the Sprint in Qatar.

Besides the Marquez brothers, there’s a raft of Spanish stars for the fans to get behind. Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) was back to his best and looking competitive at Lusail and despite his P2 being stripped away for a tyre pressure infringement, he’ll hope to be a feature at the front again.

Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) gears up for his home Grand Prix after an improved Sunday at Lusail and you can never rule out Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), with the South African on the rostrum at Jerez two years ago. Fellow KTM star Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) was fifth last year at Jerez and if he can qualify better, may be able to repeat his top ten performances.

Nicolas Goyon – Red Bull KTM Tech3 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.”

Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) is starting to find his form again whilst the likes of Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) and Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) add to a strong force of full-time home riders.

Unfortunately, Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) is out injured after a crash on his return at Lusail, so Lorenzo Savadori steps in again.

Whether Augusto Fernandez once again replaces Portuguese rider Miguel Oliveira at Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP is yet to be confirmed.

Steps forward for Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) showcased the Frenchman back in the podium fight in Qatar and Jerez is the place of his first MotoGP victory in 2020.

Aprilia duo Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) and Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) hope for a revival after a miserable Lusail, although both found gains in Sunday’s Grand Prix. Bezzecchi was on the podium at Jerez last year, whilst Ogura clinched Moto2 honours in 2022.

Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) has been consistent and scored points in every Grand Prix thus far in 2025 and hopes to keep that streak running.

A first round without points for Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) is something he’ll have forgotten quickly, as he heads to Jerez where he was on the podium in 2023 and a winner in 2021.

Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) continues his quest for his and Thailand’s first MotoGP points.

Moto2

Fantic’s Aron Canet has a score to settle with the iconic Andalusian layout. In 2024, the #44 suffered a left fibula fracture that saw him miss the race in front of his home crowd, so a revenge mission will be on as he seeks to stay at the summit of the Moto2 Championship.

However, after a P3 finish in Jerez last year, Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) might be considered the pre-weekend favourite as the Spaniard aims to back up his P3 in Qatar with another strong showing on home turf.

Jake Dixon will be hungry to right the wrongs of Qatar, while standout rookie Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) visits Jerez for the first time in Moto2 knowing he’s P4 in the standings. That debut rostrum in the class surely isn’t far away, and there would be no better place to collect a first Moto2 trophy than at the Spanish GP.

Who else to look out for? Well, in truth, plenty of riders. Can Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) challenge for another podium? The Turk was on form in Lusail, as were Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) and Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO) the last time we went racing. Joe Roberts (American Racing Team) finished P2 in Jerez last year, so the American will be hoping 2025’s visit can kick-start his campaign.

Jerez will also put the sole Australian entrant in the class, Senna Agius, on more familiar territory as he strives to get back inside the top ten in the championship. Agius started his season with a podium in Thailand but it has been far from plain sailing for the 19-year-old across the following three rounds. He will be aiming to right that ship this weekend at Jerez.

Moto2 Championship Standings

Moto3

We’re four Grands Prix in and two winners have emerged in Moto3 – Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) and Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo). Two wins apiece and one point splitting the two Spaniards is how it stands heading to the Spanish GP, so who will leave Jerez with the upper hand?

Rueda’s unfortunate late mechanical issue forced the #99 into a DNF in Qatar, which meant his podium run came to an end. And after beating Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) by 0.009s on the run to the line, Piqueras made sure it’s him who leads the title charge by a point ahead of the duo’s home Grand Prix. Rueda missed last year’s race while he was still recovering from appendicitis, while Piqueras finished in P10 – so both have debut Moto3 Jerez podium ambitions this weekend.

David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) was a podium finisher in Jerez last season, and after collecting his first points of the season in Qatar, the Spaniard will be aiming for more in front of his home fans. Furusato’s first podium of the season could be the catalyst for the Japanese star to mount a title tilt, and speaking of Japanese stars, Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) will be eager to build on his first rostrum of the season too.

Joel Kelso (LEVELUP – MTA Team) comes into the Spanish GP third in the overall standings and after missing out on a second podium in a row by 0.055s (and the win by 0.097s), the Australian will undoubtedly be a threat once more.

Countryman Jacob Roulstone will continue his climb back from serious pre-season injuries as he strives to return to the front of the field after a late start to the season that put him firmly on the back foot.

Kiwi youngster Cormac Buchanan missed scoring points for the first time this season after a high-side in Qatar while running inside the top ten robbed him of what might have been.

Elsewhere, after a P12 in Austin and a DNF in Qatar, fourth in the Championship Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) will be desperate to respond on home soil.In truth, so many names will be fancying their chances this weekend as we get set for another spellbinding weekend of Moto3 action at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto.

Moto3 Championship Standings

2025 MotoGP Calendar