The Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, located near the town of Portimão, opened to great fanfare in 2008, with high hopes of attracting a Formula One Grand Prix. Financial difficulties for the original owners put that lofty ambition on pause, until the Coronavirus pandemic offered an unexpected opportunity to host Grands Prix for not only Formula One but also MotoGP in 2020.
In the interim the circuit became a widely-used facility (often simply referred to as either the Algarve Circuit or Portimão Circuit) and is among the top motorsport venues in Portugal.
Plans for the circuit were first announced in 2002, but problems in raising the required finances put the project on hold for a number of years. Three years later and the proposals received a new boost, when the Portuguese Ministry of the Economy and the Ministry of the Environment issued a joint statement supporting the plans to give the region an economic boost by creating new jobs and attracting more tourists.
Join us later in the afternoon for the latest updates and results from the Portimao Circuit, as the qualifying session for the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix is about to get underway, with Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc at the wheel of the SF1000.
Buy official Ferrari F1 products!
Leave a Reply