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Twenty-one years of Grand Prix racing at Jerez
Jerez has hosted a Grand Prix event on 21 occasions. Below are some facts and figures from these events:
• This will be the 22nd consecutive year that a Grand Prix event has been held at Jerez since it was first used in 1987. Assen and Donington are the only other current circuits that have been used consecutively for this length of time.
• A total of 65 Grand Prix races for solo motorcycles have been held at the Jerez circuit as follows: MotoGP – 6, 500cc – 15, 250cc – 21, 125cc – 20, 80cc – 3.
• Spanish and Italian riders have been equally successful at the Jerez circuit, each nation having taken a total of 18 Grand Prix victories.
• Jerez has been the most successful circuit for the Spanish riders as far as premier-class victories, with a total of 5 wins; Alberto Puig in 1995, Alex Criville in 1997, 98, 99 and Sete Gibernau in 2004.
• Alberto Puig’s victory in 1995 was the first for a Spanish rider in the premier-class on home soil.
• Valentino Rossi is the most successful rider at Jerez with 7 Grand Prix victories to his name; boasting a single win in both the 125cc and 250cc classes to add to his 5 in the premier class.
• Last year the top ten riders on the grid for the MotoGP race were covered by just 0.325 seconds – the closest ever.
• Honda have dominated the premier-class at Jerez, having won the race on 15 occasions – the last of which was in 2004 with Sete Gibernau.
Great Day for Debutants in Qatar
The Qatar Grand Prix was a great success for 3 of the 4 riders making their debut in the MotoGP class as illustrated by the following facts and figures:
• Jorge Lorenzo became the first rider to take a debut MotoGP pole position since Max Biaggi at the Japanese GP in 1998.
• By finishing 2nd in the race Lorenzo matched the debut result of his great rival Dani Pedrosa at the opening race of 2006.
• Lorenzo was both the top Yamaha rider in the race and the top rider using Michelin tires.
• Andrea Dovizioso
• James Toseland finished in 6th place to end a run of 18 races without a British rider scoring points in the MotoGP class. This was the best result by a British rider in MotoGP since Jeremy McWilliams was 6th at the French GP in 2003. This is the best debut result in the premier-class for a British rider since Terry Rymer was 6th at the British GP in 1992 on a wild-card appearance with a Harris-Yamaha.
MotoGP Facts & Figures
Jerez is the only circuit on this year’s calendar (excluding Indianapolis that is being used for the first time) where Casey Stoner has not finished on the podium in any class of Grand Prix racing. His best results at Jerez were a 5th place finish in the 125cc class in 2004 which he repeated last year in the MotoGP race. If Stoner wins in Spain he will be the first rider since Rossi in 2001 to take back-to-back victories in the opening two premier-class races of the year.
Valentino Rossi has a great record at Jerez with 5 victories and one other podium finish from his 8 starts in the premier-class. The only two occasions he did not finish on the podium was in the wet race of 2004 when he was fourth and in 2006 when he finished 14th having crashed at the first corner after a collision with Toni Elias.
Dani Pedrosa has finished on the podium for the last three years at Jerez, having won the 250cc race in 2005 and been 2nd in the MotoGP race for the last two years.
Jorge Lorenzo made his GP debut in the 125cc race at Jerez in 2002 after having to wait until he celebrated his 15th birthday on the second day of qualifying to get out onto the track. Lorenzo has won the 250cc race at Jerez for the past two years having qualified on pole on both occasions. If Lorenzo finishes in the top three at Jerez he will be the first rider since Max Biaggi in 1998 to have back-to-back podium finishes on his first two appearances in the premier-class.
Official statistics compiled by Dr. Martin Raines
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