It’s race week again. This weekend promises to be a spectacle again. Then the royal class travels to Portimão, to ride a Grand Prix there for the first time under the Portuguese sun.
The Grand Prix of Portugal will be held at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, located in the Portuguese province of Portimão. Construction of the track was completed in 2008, after which it was approved by both the FIM (motorsport federation) and the FIA (motorsport federation). Until recently, however, the track was not part of either the Formula 1 or MotoGP calendar. However, races are held in the Superbikes Championship and the Le Mans Series. It is also seen as one of the leading test locations.
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This year it is on the Formula 1 calendar for the first time. It is one of the circuits that was added to the list of destinations as a stopgap solution due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Autódromo Internacional do Algarve takes the drivers over 4,692 kilometers of asphalt and has a total of 16 turns. It is one of the shorter circuits on the calendar. In addition, the track has a large difference in height, making it difficult to determine the braking points. The circuit is therefore seen as a so-called driver’s circuit, which means that the drivers themselves can make a bigger difference than normal.
The race weekend will start on Friday 23 October at 12:00 PM with the first free practice. At 4:00 PM, the riders are then allowed to explore the asphalt a second time. The starting gun for Saturday will also sound at 12:00, then the third and final free practice will start. The starting line-up is then determined at 3 p.m. The Saturday sessions therefore take place one hour earlier than during most European races. The same goes for the Grand Prix itself. This will start on Sunday, October 25 at 2:10 PM, not 3:10 PM.
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