The Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix has a fragmented early history. The event appeared sporadically on the Grand Prix motorcycle racing calendar from 1950, with editions in 1950, 1951, 1954, 1955, and then intermittently from 1972, using various circuits. The race settled at the newly constructed Circuito de Jerez from 1987 and has remained there as the permanent home of the Spanish round ever since.
Spain has grown into one of the most active markets for MotoGP, hosting four separate World Championship events as of the 2026 season: the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez, the Catalan Grand Prix at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, the Aragon Grand Prix at MotorLand Aragon, and the Valencian Community Grand Prix at Circuit Ricardo Tormo. The Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez is the longest-established of these, benefiting from the circuit's status as a dedicated winter testing venue for MotoGP and the Superbike World Championship.
The Circuito de Jerez was designed by the Spanish engineer Manuel Medina Lara and opened on 8 December 1985. Located close to Jerez de la Frontera, approximately 90 km south of Seville in the sherry-producing region of Andalusia, the circuit measures 4.428 km. The facility can accommodate up to 125,000 spectators, though its relatively remote location has historically limited attendance at some events.
The circuit hosted the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix from 1986 through 1990 before F1 moved to Barcelona. It also hosted the 1994 and 1997 European Grand Prix as a Formula One venue; the 1997 race was particularly notable as the season finale, where Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve collided while battling for the championship, and Villeneuve went on to claim the title.
For MotoGP, the Jerez layout presents a series of medium-speed and slow corners that reward corner-exit traction. The long straight between the Sito Pons curve and the first chicane provides the main overtaking opportunity. The circuit was resurfaced in 2005. A final corner was renamed after Jorge Lorenzo in 2013, following the Spaniard's fourth world championship title, and the circuit itself was renamed in honour of legendary Spanish motorcycle racer Ángel Nieto after his death in 2017, becoming the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto.
Dani Pedrosa, the three-time world champion who spent his entire career with Repsol Honda, had a corner named after him in 2019 following his retirement from racing.
The Jerez circuit operates in a hot-summer Mediterranean climate that suits the May timing of the MotoGP round. Winter testing at Jerez typically takes place in January and February, when the mild Andalusian temperatures simulate the conditions riders will encounter during the race season further north in Europe. The circuit's consistency and predictable surface make it popular with teams for development testing.
The Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix has carried numerous title sponsors across its history. Marlboro held the naming rights from 1983 through 2005 (with some gaps), before being replaced by the online betting brand bwin, which held sponsorship from 2006 through 2015. Red Bull sponsored the event from 2016 through 2022. From 2024 the race has been held as the Gran Premio Estrella Galicia 0,0 de España, with Spanish beer brand Estrella Galicia as title sponsor.