MotoGP returns to Brazil this weekend for the first time in more than two decades, as the championship heads to the Autódromo Internacional Ayrton Senna in Goiânia.
The last Grand Prix in the South American country was held in 2004, meaning an entire generation of riders and fans have never experienced a MotoGP race in the country.
As the paddock prepares for a long-awaited comeback, here are five interesting facts ahead of the 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix, which you can watch LIVE on SPOTV NOW.
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Too young for the last Grand Prix in Brazil
When MotoGP last took place in Brazil on 24 October 2004, some of today’s riders had not even been born. One of them is Fermín Aldeguer, who was born a year later and will make his season debut for Gresini Racing this weekend after missing the Thai Grand Prix due to injury.
In Moto2, several riders were also born after Brazil’s most recent Grand Prix, including David Alonso, Daniel Holgado and Alberto Ferrández, highlighting just how long the championship has been away from the country.
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Goiânia returns after 37 years
MotoGP’s return to Brazil ends a 21-year absence, but for the Goiânia circuit, the wait has been even longer.
The Autódromo Internacional Ayrton Senna last hosted the world championship in 1989, meaning this year’s race comes 37 years after the venue’s previous MotoGP event.
Over the years, Brazil’s motorcycle Grand Prix history has been spread across several circuits. Goiânia hosted the first three races between 1987 and 1989, followed by a one-off event at Interlagos in 1992. From 1995 to 2004, the race moved to Rio de Janeiro’s Jacarepaguá circuit, where it was officially known as the Rio Grand Prix.
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A new Brazilian hero for the home crowd
When MotoGP last raced in Brazil in 2004, the home fans were cheering for Alex Barros, the country’s most successful premier-class rider. More than two decades later, Brazil once again has a local star to support: Diogo Moreira.
The young Brazilian, racing for LCR Honda, will carry the hopes of the home crowd this weekend, and will hope to improve on his most recent Grand Prix outing, where he finished 13th in Thailand.
A circuit named after a Brazilian legend
The venue hosting the 2026 race is named after one of Brazil’s greatest sporting icons: Ayrton Senna. Opened in 1974, the Goiânia circuit was later renamed in honour of the three-time Formula One world champion following his death in 1994.
Over the years the track has hosted numerous motorsport events, including NASCAR Brasil, Brazilian Formula 3 and Porsche Carrera Cup Brazil. MotoGP’s return adds another major chapter to the circuit’s history.
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Wayne Rainey holds 500cc lap record
During the 1989 edition, Wayne Rainey set a fastest lap of 1:25.440 aboard the legendary Yamaha YZR500. As the world championship never returned to Goiânia after that race, Rainey benchmark from the 500cc era has remained untouched ever since.
When modern MotoGP machines finally hit the track this weekend, one of the paddock’s longest-standing premier-class lap records is almost certain to fall.
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