Jerez and Le Mans in a duel over the MotoGP/MotoGP visitors' number

Even in the dark, people made the pilgrimage from the parking lots and campsites towards the racetrack. At sunrise in Jerez de la Frontera last Sunday, the circuit nicknamed Angel Nieto was packed with thousands upon thousands of racegoers.

When the official attendance figures for this year's Spanish Grand Prix were broadcast just minutes before the warm-up round for the MotoGP class, fans had a record of their own.

Before Saturday, 80,074 visitors were officially registered. Saturday alone, made even more attractive by the motorcycle race, attracted an additional 71,898 people to the area, just a few kilometers from Jerez. The event escalated on Sunday to become the largest sporting event in Spain, with 144,689 spectators in attendance.

Exactly 296,741 spectators will be included in the statistics for the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix. This impressive number is also a new record in the MotoGP World Championship, which is organized according to the rules of the game (and therefore the ticket system) in Dorna.

60 years ago, more than 440,000 people watched the German Grand Prix motorcycle race on the Solitude Road course just outside Stuttgart – on race day alone. Almost all spectators at the races at this memorable event in the summer of 1964 were “unruly” fans without tickets. Stunned crowds also spread around the 11.4-kilometre slope.

Interestingly: The MotoGP viewing record, which was improved by Spanish fans a few days ago, was previously in the hands of the French, who were also happy to celebrate. In May 2023, a total of 278,805 people experienced the French Grand Prix live. With more than 152,000 spectators in attendance on Sunday, the French at least held the modern race-day record.

The truth is that with eleven players and Spanish motorcycle stars such as Marquez, Martin, Viñales and Acosta, it was not necessary to convince the fans to come to Jerez.

France also has two notable MotoGP winners. However, since you currently have to look very far into the results lists to spot Fabio Quartararo (12) and Johann Zarco (21), there are doubts as to whether the French will reclaim the attendance record in just one week.