HISTORY OF THE CIRCUITO DE JEREZ-ÁNGEL NIETO

Jerez's racing tradition began long before the modern Circuito de Jerez was built. Spanish legends such as Ángel Nieto and Ricardo Tormo raced on the town's streets. In the early 1980s, it was decided to build a modern circuit near Jerez. 

The first major race was Formula 1 in 1986, which ended up with one of the closest battles of the championship, with Ayrton Senna beating Nigel Mansell by just 14 thousandths of a second. One year later, the Jerez circuit hosted the first FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix. And it hasn't missed a beat since. 

The circuit has undergone several significant rebuilds and, in 2002, received its dominant feature - the iconic UFO over the start straight. The rebuild also brought improved facilities for journalists and pit crews. 

The circuit is currently named after Ángel Nieto, Spain's most successful motorcycle rider, on the all-time list with thirteen championship titles, second after Giacomo Agostini. The circuit was named in response to Nieto's tragic death in a quad-bike accident in 2017.