Having waited four months for the 2020 MotoGP season to start, the action continues at a frantic pace with the second round of the Jerez double-header, the Andalucia Grand Prix.
In a drastically reshuffled campaign, Jerez will host the first-ever Andalucia GP, which acts as the second part of the back to back races at Jerez following a dramatic Spanish GP last weekend.
Reigning MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez will be out of action after suffering a broken arm in a heavy crash during last Sunday’s race, with Repsol Honda opting not to field a replacement rider for the second round.
With the participations of both Cal Crutchlow and Alex Rins also in doubt due to their respective injuries picked up during the Spanish GP weekend, it hands a golden opportunity to the rest of the MotoGP field albeit in unfortunate circumstances.
Fabio Quartararo, who secured his maiden MotoGP win on Sunday, will be aiming for a Jerez double for Petronas SRT but will face strong competition from the likes of fellow Yamaha rider Maverick Vinales and Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso after they completed the podium in the opener.
There are also opportunities for the rest of the MotoGP grid to target, including Pramac Ducati’s Jack Miller and Petronas SRT’s Franco Morbidelli, who both narrowly missed out on the rostrum in the opener despite being in contention throughout the race, while Valentino Rossi will be hoping to bounce back after a mechanical issue ended his race early.
The 2020 MotoGP race calendar is sticking in Europe with its confirmed dates and after the Andalucía GP the paddock heads to Brno, the Red Bull Ring (double-header), Misano (double-header), Catalunya, Le Mans, Aragon (double-header) and Valencia (double-header). The Argentina, Thailand and Malaysia rounds remain unconfirmed for 2020 amid the COVID-19 situation.
What is the Andalucia Grand Prix?
With the same race name not allowed to be used twice during one MotoGP season, organisers have opted for new race titles to differentiate the two events at this season’s double-headers.
After the traditional Spanish GP acted as the MotoGP opener, the Andalucia GP hosts round two – named after the region Jerez is based in.
The same naming process will be used for the double-headers at the Red Bull Ring, Misano and Aragon, while the Valencia double-header will use the European GP title for its first event.
2020 MotoGP Andalucia Grand Prix session timings
MotoGP will run its traditional schedule of two free practice sessions lasting 45 minutes each on Friday, with another 45-minute practice session on Saturday morning. The top 10 on the combined FP1-2-3 timesheet will automatically enter into Q2 of qualifying. A final 30-minute FP4 session is held on Saturday afternoon ahead of qualifying.
Q1 of qualifying features all riders who did not finish in the top 10 of the combined practice times take part with the top two finishers progressing into Q2 alongside the 10 who gained an automatic spot via their practice times.
Q2 is the pole position shootout that decides the order of the front four rows, with the rest of the grid organised on Q1 times, for the 25-lap Andalucia Grand Prix on Sunday.
Moto2, Moto3 and MotoE are also in action during the Andalucia GP.
Friday 24th July 2020
Free Practice 1: 8:55am-9:40am BST (9:55am-10:40pm local)
Free Practice 2: 1:10pm-1:55pm BST (2:10pm-2:55pm local)
Saturday 25th July 2020
Free Practice 3: 8:55am-9:40am BST (9:55am-10:40am local)
Free Practice 4: 12:30pm-1:00pm BST (1:30pm-2:00pm local)
Qualifying: 1:10pm-1:50pm BST (2:10pm-2:50pm local)
Sunday 26th July 2020
Warm Up: 8:20am-8:40am BST (9:20am-9:40am local)
Race: 1:00pm BST (2:00pm local)
How can I watch the Andalucia MotoGP?
Channel: BT Sport 2
Channel numbers – Sky: 414 (BT Sport 2)
Channel numbers – Virgin Media: 528 (BT Sport)
BT Sport’s live coverage of Sunday’s action starts with the warm-up sessions at 07:15am, taking it from the world feed, before switching to its own broadcast at 08:45am for the pre-race show ahead of the MotoE race.
The build-up to the MotoGP race starts from 12:30pm, or when the Moto2 race finishes, ahead of lights out at 1:00pm.
Can I stream the Andalucia MotoGP?
Viewers in the United Kingdom can also stream the Andalucia MotoGP by purchasing a video pass from MotoGP.com. A one-off video pass, which lasts until the first race of the 2021 season, costs £179.87, or it can be paid for in four instalments each costing £44.96.
The video pass gives access to every live session, qualifying and race, plus world feed content and the chance to watch previous races.
When can I watch the highlights?
Channel: Quest TV
Start time: TBC
Quest TV is set to broadcast free-to-air highlights of the 2020 season, usually on a Monday evening after each race weekend, with further details about specific timings and highlight packages set to be confirmed.
Weather forecast for the Andalucia Grand Prix
Jerez is set to be bathed in sunshine all weekend during the Andalucia GP, with highs of 36 degrees Celsius on race day.