Portuguese Grand Prix: 7 highlights
Although Portugal has only hosted 17 Grand Prix in F1 history, many firsts, titles and records have been achieved on its soil. We've selected the top 7 for you.
1. Hamilton’s 92nd, absolute record (2020)
How to start this list without mentioning the highest wins record holder in the premier category, who is still climbing towards the top?
For this first Portuguese Grand Prix since 1996, Hamilton gets his revenge on Bottas by securing pole position after missing it at the Nürburgring.
If the circumstances of the start lead him back to third position, he quickly overtook Sainz to find himself behind his teammate in the first part of the race.
His better tire management and race strategy make him stand out widely after his delayed pit stop compared to the Finn. He will never be threatened again and will pick up his 92nd win, a milestone that no other driver has ever reached before him.
Legendary.
It was win no. 92 for @LewisHamilton last time round in Portugal ????
Can he break another record by taking his 100th pole this weekend? ???? #PortugueseGP ???????? #F1 pic.twitter.com/3Xpu6z1y4e
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 26, 2021
2. Prost loses the title by half a point against Lauda (1984)
In 1984, for its return to the calendar for the first time since 1960, Portugal hosts the final round of the World Championship at the magnificent Estoril circuit.
The championship is extremely tight between the two McLaren drivers: Alain Prost and Niki Lauda. The Frenchman is chasing a first title that he missed twice in previous years with Renault, while Lauda is seeking a third after his return to F1 two years earlier.
Lauda is in a strong position: he has a 3.5-point lead over his teammate and a second place would be enough for him even if Prost were to win. In qualifying, Prost finds himself in 3rd place behind the Brabham of the reigning champion Nelson Piquet and the Williams of Keke Rosberg, while Lauda starts further back.
The Brazilian misses his start and Rosberg takes the lead ahead of Prost on the first lap. After only 8 laps, the engine of the 1982 world champion Williams gives up, leaving Alain Prost in the lead, virtually a world champion.
However, Lauda is an exceptional car tuner who focuses on setting up his car for the race rather than for qualifying. Thus, the Austrian overtakes his opponents one by one to finish second behind the Frenchman and secure his third and final world championship title.
To this day, this is still the closest World Championship in F1 history, as Alain Prost only conceded half a point to Niki Lauda.
3. The first pole position and first victory for Magic Senna (1985)
If he revealed himself the previous year at the Monaco Grand Prix behind the wheel of his Toleman, it is in 1985 that Ayrton Senna will confirm all the good that we think of him.
The Brazilian confirms his skills in the rain behind the wheel of his famous Lotus JPS by clinching pole position on Saturday and facing no competition the following day during the race. His closest rival, Michele Alboreto in his Ferrari, is more than a minute behind and is the only one on the same lap as Ayrton.
The beginning of a beautiful (but too short) career.
4. The brilliant start of Räikkönen and the first laps in the lead by Sainz (2020)
Let’s go back to Portimão and the previous edition. Shortly before the start of the race, a few drops of rain begin to fall during the formation lap. The cars take their positions on the grid and a downpour hits the track, making the conditions very slippery.
In this little game, drivers starting on soft tires (easier to warm up) enjoy a big advantage. Thus, Carlos Sainz was able to cover his first 5 laps in the lead of a Grand Prix after narrowly missing out on victory at Monza.
The Spaniard took full advantage of the difficulties the Mercedes faced in heating their tires to claim the lead of the race temporarily since the rain stopped as suddenly as it had arrived.
And what about Kimi Räikkönen? Starting 16th at the wheel of his sluggish Alfa Romeo, the Finn reminded everyone of his talent by making a stunning start and overtaking no less than…10 competitors in just one lap!
A departure to be shown in all driver academies!
???? L’incroyable départ de Kimi Räikkönen en 2020 au Grand Prix du Portugal !
???? Iceman sera-t-il en mesure de réitérer une telle performance ce week-end ? #PortugueseGP | #F1 pic.twitter.com/6hbW8cjEVu
— En Pole (@En_Pole_) April 27, 2021
5. Prost, power 4 (1993)
In 1993, Alain Prost makes his comeback in F1 after a sabbatical year and returns to the team in top form at the moment: Williams. Criticized by many of his peers, the Frenchman will experience a emotionally complicated year despite having a superb car at his disposal.
He dominates the first half of the season ahead of his eternal rival, Ayrton Senna on McLaren. In Portugal, he only needs a second place to be crowned champion, although he could have sealed the deal at the previous Grand Prix in Monza, where a mechanical failure deprived him of victory.
The Frenchman starts the race behind his compatriot Jean Alesi’s Ferrari and then takes the lead after the Avignon-born driver’s pit stop. He holds onto the lead for 9 laps before finding himself behind the young Michael Schumacher.
Prost will not attempt anything crazy and will go for second place behind Schumacher (who clinches his second F1 victory) to secure his fourth and final title as Senna is forced to retire.
6. 28 victories: when Prost also offered himself the record (1987)
It has not been talked about much, but before Hamilton surpassing Schumacher, Portugal was also the scene of a changing of the guard at the top of the Formula 1 headlines.
Indeed, in 1987 Alain Prost and McLaren were lagging behind the Williams-Honda driven by Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell. This did not prevent the Frenchman from clinching 3 victories that year, including the third one at Estoril at the end of the season.
This victory, won after a tough battle against Gerhard Berger’s Ferrari, was Prost’s 28th success in the top category, one more than the former benchmark, Sir Jackie Stewart.
History is well made!
7. Cooper and Brabham achieve the one-two (1960)
In conclusion of this top 7, it’s time to focus on the first ones to have achieved feats in Portugal. We are in 1960 on the urban circuit of Boavista in the streets of Porto. This year is dominated, like the previous year, by the Cooper-Climax, and the title is being contested between Jack Brabham and his teammate Bruce McLaren.
Starting on the front row, Brabham made a good start but was overtaken by Dan Gurney’s BRM and found himself in second position. The Australian driver tried to overtake his rival but failed as he slipped… on tram rails! He managed to get back on track but was now in eighth place (behind McLaren), a good distance behind Gurney.
But Brabham knows that the race is long and while catching up and not taking any risk for the mechanics. Overtaking his teammate McLaren and Phil Hill, he takes advantage of the retirements of Gurney, Bonnier, Surtees, Moss, and Graham Hill to take the lead at mid-race and secure his 7th victory, which ensures his second championship title!
He still crosses the finish line ahead of his teammate Bruce McLaren by almost a minute, which puts his great performance into perspective. The legend of “Black Jack” was born!
