Portuguese Grand Prix: Editor’s presentation and predictions

He is with Imola the unexpected guest of this early season 2021: the Portimao circuit returns for a new edition of the Portuguese Grand Prix! Initially absent from the original calendar, Autódromo Internacional do Algarve (its official name in Portuguese) has taken a spot left vacant by the cancellation of races held in Asia.

So let’s go to a Grand Prix held in the far south of Portugal, less than 3 kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean.

The Algarve slide?

The marriage is still very recent: Sunday, October 25, 2020, the first Formula 1 Grand Prix took place on the circuit of Portimao. The drivers discovered in competition a hilly track, a little over 4 and a half kilometers long, exactly 4.69 kilometers. Six months later, back to the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve!

The circuit stands out for its changes in elevation, reminiscent of the Spa-Francorchamps track, also known as the rollercoaster of the Ardennes.

In Portimao, 15 turns await the drivers. The first series is fast, with two curves to slow down the cars towards a first heavy braking, the hairpin to the right of T3. The first DRS zone then appears: between the 4th and 5th turn. Then comes an open hairpin on the left, like at the Catalunya circuit in Spain.

The 2nd sector is characterized by a series of fast curves, going uphill. The elevation change is significant, as seen in this steep slope between T8 and T9, before a tighter section between T10 and 11.

The descent is towards turn 12 and the hairpin of the 13th turn. The last part of the circuit is crucial: it ends uphill with the curve of the 15th turn, on a slight right banking, towards the long straight start/finish line.

969 meters, with the circuit’s second DRS zone.

All of this in 1:16.652, the best time achieved by Lewis Hamilton last year during qualifying, in Q3. For an average of just over 218.5 km/h!

Portimao and Formula 1, a recent history

Inaugurated in 2008, the circuit was first used for a whole bunch of championships, but not Formula 1. Normal, it only received the Grade 1 certification from the FIA in April 2020, necessary to host a round of the world championship of the premier discipline.

Before that, Portimao notably organized Endurance races, with the 6 Hours of Algarve, which became the 4 Hours of Portimao in 2017, as part of the European Le Mans Series, with LMP2 cars in the spotlight.

Next to the Endurance, single-seater races have also taken place on the Portuguese track. Like GP2 (predecessor of Formula 2) or a round of the Superleague Formula in 2009, a championship that has since disappeared… in the colors of major football clubs!

Without forgetting the Moto GP or the WEC. The Moto GP has just raced for the 2nd time in its history at Portimao. The race was won on Sunday, April 18th by our French gem Fabio Quartararo on his Yamaha! As for the Endurance, see you on the weekend of June 12 and 13 for the 2nd round of the WEC championship, the 8 Hours of Portimao, with the new Hypercars.

Pirelli’s choice for the Grand Prix weekend.

Get ready for round 3! Here’s the #Fit4F1 info you ought to know as we head into the #F1 #PortugueseGP race week! ???????? https://t.co/z1hhG5we8c pic.twitter.com/S8noIxzeCO

— Pirelli Motorsport (@pirellisport) April 26, 2021

The renewal of F1 in Portugal continues

Formula 1 is holding the 18th Portuguese Grand Prix of its history this Sunday. The illustration of a dotted line romance. The biggest sequence of F1 in Portugal remains that between 1984 and 1996: 13 races in a row held at the Estoril circuit. With legendary moments such as the outcome of a Prost-Lauda duel for the title from the first edition in 1984, won by the Austrian by half a point. Driving a black and gold Lotus, Ayrton Senna achieved his first F1 career victory on the same circuit during the 1985 edition, held in the rain.

Opposite the history, we remember a spectacular overtaking by Jacques Villeneuve on Michael Schumacher during the 1996 edition. A last notable fact before the void: no more Portuguese Grand Prix between 1996 and 2020. In the overall balance, Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell share the spotlight with 3 victories each in Portugal.

In this record, there is only one victory for a driver of our time, Lewis Hamilton on October 25, 2020 in Portimao. A 92nd prestigious success, which officially allowed him to surpass Michael Schumacher in the number of victories in Formula 1. In 1987, Alain Prost also set a new mark by winning his 28th career victory in Estoril, a record at that time!

A new milestone could be reached this weekend in the Algarve: Lewis Hamilton is in the running to clinch a 100th pole position, a feat that would be truly historic in Formula 1!

What perspectives in Portimao? The preview from the Motors Inside editorial team

The forecasts

So, what are the editorial team’s bets? Max Verstappen is the driver most often mentioned to take pole on Saturdays… and win on Sundays. But Lewis Hamilton’s name also comes up three times to win the race. The long shots: Sergio Perez taking pole or winning, or even Lando Norris getting pole on Saturday, following his brilliant weekend at Imola.

And you?

Which are your favorites for this Portuguese Grand Prix?

The Grand Prix will start this Sunday at 4:00 pm. Find the schedules to know with our TV program!