Jerez is one of the best-established venues on the World Championship calendar, having hosted a Grand Prix every year since 1987. The circuit is also considered to be one of the most challenging, rewarding a determined riding style, with plenty of long corners where riders must fight to keep their machines on the fast line. 

The track surface is also very temperature-sensitive, offering huge levels of grip in cool conditions, but much less as temperatures rise. Several riders were well inside the lap record during pre-season tests but those times are unlikely to be reproduced this weekend when temperatures will be substantially higher. 

Jerez was modified in 1994 when a chicane was cut out of the loop and replaced with the fast right-hander that leads on to the back straight. This modification went against the general trend of slowing circuits and made Jerez an even better racetrack. 

Max Biaggi comes to Jerez following his strongest start to a GP campaign in three years. The Marlboro Yamaha Team man lies third in the 500 World Championship after scoring third- and eighth-place finishes at the season-opening Japanese and South African GPs.   He is a big fan of Jerez. "It's one of the best venues for all kinds of reasons," he says. "We all know it so well and the fans are great. It's not the best track for Yamaha because you're leaned over for a long time through the long corners and the Yamaha's advantage is quick steering, rather than mid-turn stability." 

"The lap times we did during testing in February were good, so at least I know we can be competitive this weekend," says Biaggi, who was obviously disappointed by his Welkom result. "I got boxed in at the start and lost five seconds on the first two laps. I finished the race only five seconds behind Nakano, who was only one second behind Ukawa in third. Without the bad first laps I could've finished third or fourth. 

"We have a lot of work to do but we won't give up. The Hondas are very good this year and we've some catching up to do. But that is racing, you are always working to go faster, even if you are in front, because the 500 class is so competitive that no one stands still for a moment." 

Biaggi is not wrong. This 500 season is turning out to be the fastest ever, by a long way. The Suzuka GP was 25 seconds faster than last year's and South Africa was a massive 35 seconds quicker than the 2000 event. Biaggi's 2001 Welkom race time would've won him last year's race by almost 20 seconds! 

This is a big weekend for Carlos Checa, one of the year's three GPs on home ground. Not only that, the Marlboro Yamaha Team man is coming back from injury and will be out to make a big impression after missing the South African GP two weeks ago. He was forced out of the event after crashing his SuperMotard bike during a training run at a track near his family home outside Barcelona. Checa suffered a bruised kidney in the unfortunate tumble and spent a week in hospital while his fellow 500 riders traveled to Welkom for round two of the 2001 World Championship. 

One thing Checa can be sure of this weekend is massive support from the Spanish fans who flock to the Andalucian circuit in vast numbers to make this the best-attended GP of the year. And it's not only the size of the crowd that makes Sunday at Jerez an awe-inspiring day; the Jerez fans like to make a lot of noise, creating an atmosphere more akin to a football cup final than a motorcycle race. Firecrackers and Mexican waves are all part of the fun. 

"What happened at Can Padro was a real shame but things like that can happen if you're a racer," says Checa. "We all train on bikes away from the races to keep physically and mentally sharp and there's always an element of risk in that, I was just unlucky. You can't wrap yourself up in cotton wool when you're not racing, we're racers and we live racing all year round, not just on Sundays at the racetracks."

In Jerez, Alex Crivillé experienced unforgettable afternoons, as he is the only rider in the 500 class who has taken three consecutive victories at the Spanish track (1997, 1998 and 1999).  Alex is determined to bounce back and challenge the front runners again. “We have to improve slightly in practice and make sure of a place on the first or second row of the grid, in order to avoid the starting problems we’ve had so far. I have always considered myself as a good racer rather than a good practice rider. It is crucial that from Jerez on I start from further up the grid to avoid what happened in Japan and South Africa. As always, Jerez is a very special Grand Prix for me, because I am racing in front of the best crowd of the world, and I always hope to achieve a good result for the fans that travel so far to be with us. I feel I rode a good race in South Africa, and the times I did lap after lap prove that. I’m sure that I would have fought for a podium finish if I had a good start. But the most important thing is that I left from there with confidence. On race day, I rode the bike the way I used to in 1999, I enjoyed racing again even though I rode almost the entire race by myself.“ 

His team-mate Tohru Ukawa doesn’t look like a rookie in the 500 class even though he has only ridden in two 500cc races. In both events, he managed to be up with the leaders, and in South Africa he was rewarded with his first podium finish in this category. Before this impressive start into the season, Ukawa mentioned two goals, the first to take top placing regularly and the second to win three races. After having achieved the first already, the only question is when will Ukawa achieve his first win. Ukawa has tested his 500 thoroughly in Jerez, and he certainly has an opportunity to go for it. “Jerez is one of the circuits where I rode most during the pre-season, and therefore we have plenty of references to find a good set-up. I enjoyed climbing up the podium in South Africa, it was a very pleasant feeling which I would like to have again very soon, even though it would be nice to step up even higher...“

Suzuki's Kenny Roberts won the race at Jerez last year, and went on to win the World Championship, completing the first ever father-and-son championship double.   Kenny also set a new lap record for the Spanish circuit, finally breaking Suzuki rider Kevin Schwantz's 1994 benchmark. 

This year he has started the season with a pair of consistent top-ten finishes that has him sitting seventh overall on points.  "I look forward to each race, and Jerez is no different," he said, adding: "Though there's always something special about winning in Spain, where they have the most passionate race fans in the world." 

"For Jerez, I hope I can qualify on the front two rows so I can try and get to Turn One first and lead the race. Then it's the other guys' problem if they want to get past. If we can get some more acceleration out of the new engine, I believe we will start to have a level playing field. I tried my best in South Africa, and we go to Jerez expecting to win the race, and get as many points as possible for the championship," commented Roberts.

Last year Sete Gibernau was one of several victims of Jerez's notorious white lines. Though the track had dried, the lines remained wet and just a touch was enough. (Exactly the Jerez phenomenon that ended the career of 500-class giant Mick Doohan two years ago.) 

The Barcelona rider is keenly aware of the desire of his Spanish fans for his success in the race. "It's extra pressure, but I can use that to make myself stronger. Everyone who knows me will understand that the greatest pressure I have is what I put on myself.  This year the other bikes have got so much better, but I still believe in the Suzuki's potential, and we're all of us working our butts off to get that potential. Of course I'm hoping it will come right at my home GP. I don't feel any extra pressure because of racing in Spain. The pressure's already been on me since I started racing - from myself. I'm hard on myself, so instead of added pressure, it makes me feel good. I hope the fans are still with us. In Spain they understand really well how the pressures are on a rider." 

500 leader Rossi has a huge Spanish following which will be hoping the charismatic young Italian can complete a hat-trick at Jerez.

Rossi’s form at the opening two GPs of 2001 was breathtaking. At Suzuka he beat Garry McCoy (Yamaha) by just 0.724 seconds and at Welkom he was a mere 0.660 seconds ahead of Loris Capirossi (West Honda Pons NSR500). 

“I am sure I will have to fight hard if I want to win again,” says Rossi, “Many teams have tested at Jerez, so I think everyone will be very strong, probably more so than at the opening two races. My aim is the same as always – the podium, and a win if possible.”

Rossi’s chief engineer Jerry Burgess has been impressed with his man’s form on the latest version of the NSR500, the most successful 500 GP bike ever. Rossi had plenty of input into the design of the 2001 NSR which he first raced in the latter stages of last year. 

“The 2001 bike is good, no doubt about that,” says Burgess, who worked with five-time 500 king Mick Doohan for ten years before getting involved with Rossi. “We’ve been developing it since the last few races of 2000, so we’re already at a high level. It’s got a chassis package that Valentino likes and we’ve done some good work on the engine, it’s definitely better than the ‘Doohan model’ NSR.”

“Some riders suffered chatter during the tests because the track was cool, so there was a huge amount of grip,” explains West Honda Pons team manager Manuel Burillo, who looks after Capirossi, currently second in the 500 title chase, and team-mate Alex Barros (West Honda Pons NSR500). “Our plan is to stay with the 16.5 all season because switching tyres only confuses things. We want especially good results at Jerez, because we’re a Spanish team so it’s an important event for us.”

Another NSR500 rider, Chris Walker (Shell Advance Racing), will be hoping for some luck as he starts his first full European season in 500s. The Briton cracked a shoulder at the Japanese GP and aggravated the injury with another fall in South Africa, where he rode to score one World Championship point.

Last year at Jerez