Portuguese Grand Prix Returns to 2021 F1 Season
Photo: United Autosports via CC
Formula 1 has agreed to bring back the Portuguese Grand Prix in the vacant slot of the 2021 calendar. The Algarve International Circuit in Portimão will thus host the third race of the season, and it likely has the COVID-19 pandemic to thank.
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Before 2020, F1 had only gone to Portimão once in an official capacity — for testing after the 2008 season, shortly after construction of the circuit was finished. Its quality was deemed good enough to host the Portuguese Grand Prix, which had not been featured in F1 since Jacques Villeneuve won at Estoril in 1996 to become the sport’s winningest rookie (a feat later equaled by Lewis Hamilton).
But failing to come to a commercial agreement with the sport, the Algarve circuit never made its way into an F1 season. It wasn’t part of the original 2020 calendar, nor was it ever mentioned as a possible addition to future calendars as Liberty Media looked to expand the number of races taking place in a single year.
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After the COVID-19 pandemic forced numerous venues to cancel in 2020, however, F1 was able to turn to Portimão to pad a shortened season — and as it turned out, the Portuguese Grand Prix was one of the most well-received of the impromptu additions to the calendar.
We may even be treated to similar weather conditions, as Portimão’s climate in late October — when the 2020 race was held — closely resembles the climate we can expect when the 2021 Portuguese Grand Prix will take place on May 2.
The F1 Commission is expected to make the official announcement about Portimão on Thursday when it will also vote about a potentially new qualifying format.
Kurt Verlin was born in France and lives in the United States. Throughout his life he was always told French was the language of romance, but it was English he fell in love with. He likes cats, music, cars, 30 Rock, Formula 1, and pretending to be a race car driver in simulators; but most of all, he just likes to write about it all. See more articles by Kurt.