Spring has sprung – Honda HRC Castrol land in Jerez
Circuito de Jerez - Angel NietoThe European leg of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship season opens at the storied circuit in Jerez de la Frontera, Luca Marini and Joan Mir refreshed and ready to ride after an extended early-season break.
Having first hosted a Grand Prix in 1987 and then consistently since 1989, the Circuit de Jerez – Angel Nieto has been home to countless laps and titanic battles in the more than 30 years since. Forecasts are predicting faultless weekend, crucial for the grid to quickly get back up to speed after three weeks between races. This classic circuit has seen Honda take over 20 victories in the premier class.
Luca Marini arrives in Spain leading the Honda march in the World Championship standings, his metronomic consistency awarding him a steady flow of points across Thailand, Brazil and America. With the foundations in place, the #10 and his Honda HRC Castrol crew are aiming to extract the maximum from the Honda RC213V and challenge the front runners on a consistent basis. Advancing directly to Q2 on Friday will be key, Marini frequently able to match the pace of the top five once he has fought his way through the field.
The 4.42 kilometres of Jerez present Joan Mir with another opportunity to show off his impressive pace on the Honda RC213V. Familiar territory will no doubt provide the 2020 MotoGP World Champion with even more confidence to fight towards the front while refining his setup. Able to consistently lead the Honda charge in Qualifying and the races so far in 2026, converting this speed into race finishes and points will be a key focus as the regular rhythm of the season settles in.
A day of testing will follow the Grand Prix, the first chance to evaluate any parts and setting options without the pressure of a race weekend since the season started in Thailand.
“The time between races has been good to train, I’ve done a lot of different things, and I am feeling really physically strong heading into Jerez this weekend. It will be important to get back into the zone as quick as possible as we don’t usually have many breaks like this. Jerez is a circuit that everyone knows really well, and I think it will be a better signal of where we are compared to the other bikes. Like always, getting into Q2 is our first focus of the weekend and then we will see what’s possible on Saturday and Sunday.”
“The time between races has been good to train, I’ve done a lot of different things, and I am feeling really physically strong heading into Jerez this weekend. It will be important to get back into the zone as quick as possible as we don’t usually have many breaks like this. Jerez is a circuit that everyone knows really well, and I think it will be a better signal of where we are compared to the other bikes. Like always, getting into Q2 is our first focus of the weekend and then we will see what’s possible on Saturday and Sunday.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing the team and riding again after these weeks. Jerez is a good circuit to understand many things, and I hope that we can have the same speed we’ve had in the opening races. Our approach doesn’t change; I know that we can be competitive and I will always keep giving my maximum to extract the most from the bike and the situation. It will also be interesting to see what the Monday test brings as well. A busy weekend to get back into the groove.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing the team and riding again after these weeks. Jerez is a good circuit to understand many things, and I hope that we can have the same speed we’ve had in the opening races. Our approach doesn’t change; I know that we can be competitive and I will always keep giving my maximum to extract the most from the bike and the situation. It will also be interesting to see what the Monday test brings as well. A busy weekend to get back into the groove.”