María José García-Pelayo: “The number 7 is the number of perfection, and you have made this Jerez-Ángel Nieto Circuit the best in the world with your hard work.”
María José García-Pelayo: “The number 7 is the number of perfection, and you have made this Jerez-Ángel Nieto Circuit the best in the world with your hard work.”*Carmelo Ezpeleta: “This bust is a great inspiration, and I want to thank the City Council and the Andalusian Regional Government for their kind gesture, because I really appreciate it.”
*Carlos Arturo Bernal: “Moto GP and Jerez are a difficult, inseparable pairing that will continue as long as we: the Regional Government, the City Council, and Dorna, want it to.”
April 26, 2025. The Mayor of Jerez, María José García-Pelayo, along with the Minister of Tourism, Carlos Arturo Bernal, the Government Delegate of the Regional Government, Mercedes Colombo, and the CEO of Dorna, Carmelo Ezpeleta, unveiled the bust that the Jerez-Ángel Nieto Circuit has erected at Turn 7 of the track to pay tribute to the MotoGP entrepreneur. The event was attended by the Deputy Mayors Agustín Muñoz and Antonio Real, the Delegate José Ángel Aparicio, the Vice President of Cirjesa, Javier Peláez, the Director of Cirjesa, José Antonio Jiménez de León, the Director of the Jerez-Ángel Nieto Circuit, Cayetano Gómez, and the Commissioner of the 40th anniversary, Jesús Benítez.
The mayor stated that Jerez "owes you a lot, which is why we pay you this small tribute for all that you deserve. The number 7 is the number of perfection, and with perfect work, you have made this Jerez-Ángel Nieto Circuit the most perfect and the best in the world."
María José García-Pelayo recalled the years the Circuit and Dorna have worked together to organize the Spanish Grand Prix. “Carmelo Ezpeleta is the protagonist of this event and of the history of the Jerez-Ángel Nieto Circuit. A circuit that celebrates 40 years of history, and what better way to celebrate the 40th anniversary than by paying tribute to a person who has been a motorcycle racer but, above all, has driven the life of this circuit throughout all these years,” she noted.
Forty years of history have made it possible for "the Circuito de Jerez-Ángel Nieto to be the most important circuit in the world, and above all because the Spanish Grand Prix is the most highly regarded by fans. This recognition has been possible thanks to Carmelo Ezpeleta, his entire team, all the directors, but of course thanks to the Regional Government of Andalusia for its support and to the Cirjesa team and the managers of the entity throughout this history," the mayor stated.
María José García-Pelayo praised Carmelo Ezpeleta's support for the city of Jerez. "He has always dedicated himself to this city. He has always been very clear that Jerez had to maintain its Spanish Motorcycle GP. And he has always sought out the best dates for its celebration." During "the difficult times, Carmelo Ezpeleta has helped us and made it possible for us to maintain the Spanish GP and not lose it. He has been and is a person committed to Jerez, not just to motorcycling. I am sure that future generations, including your grandchildren, will feel deeply proud of the great person you are," she added.
Visibly moved and in the presence of his family, riders such as Loris Capirossi, Dani Pedrosa, Dorna and FIM staff, Carmelo Ezpeleta stated “that I would never have thought that a circuit like Jerez could have a corner with my name on it. I am delighted that this is the case. It is a huge excitement, and the fact that the previous corner (6) is also named after Dani Pedrosa is a real pleasure. For me, as I am getting older and have to say things as I think, Pedrosa is one of the best riders in history,” he stressed.
El CEO de Dorna ha reconocido su “tremenda felicidad por tener este busto aquí. Mis nietos lo van a compartir. Mi hijo, que se llama como yo, tendrá una curva aquí. Es una ilusión bestial y quiero agradecer al Ayuntamiento, a la Junta de Andalucía el que hayan tenido este gesto conmigo porque lo aprecio mucho”, ha enfatizado.
The Minister of Tourism made it clear that "Jerez and MotoGP are a difficult, inseparable pairing that will remain so as long as we, the Regional Government, the City Council, and Dorna, want. It's a collective project in which we have a great captain, Carmelo Ezpeleta. MotoGP is incomprehensible without Jerez, and we will ensure that this remains the case for a long time to come. Congratulations, Carmelo Ezpeleta, on this bust and this curve; they are the result of your work, your determination, commitment, and vision," he concluded.
