The return of Formula 1 to Portugal with a Grand Prix at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, in Portimão, on October 25, is "good news" for the region, considered this Friday the president of the Algarve’s main hotel association.
"It is good news for the Algarve, we applaud it, and I very much hope that it will continue in the years to come," stated Elidérico Viegas, president of the Association of Hotels and Tourist Enterprises of the Algarve (AHETA).
Viegas stressed the importance for the region of "holding an event of this dimension", which, "in addition to generating important tourist flows, works as a privileged means of promoting tourism, given the enormous media coverage it has" at the global level. He acknowledged that this is an "atypical year" due to the consequences and impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which may lead to "no spectators on the stands", but said he believes that "in the future, this situation will be overcome" for, "in periods of lower demand, these events can also function as important contributions to reduce the region's greatest weakness, which is seasonality".
"Formula 1 is part of that half a dozen anchor events that the Algarve should have in the low season, which assert themselves in the European and world calendars of great achievements, as capable of generating important tourist flows and, at the same time, given the coverage media of these events, function as privileged means of dissemination of the region abroad ", he argued.
The President of AHETA thus welcomed the return of Formula 1 to Portugal, between 23 and 25 October, after in 2015 the Algarve "unfortunately" lost the Algarve rally, and it was moved elsewhere.
Portugal will receive the 2020 Formula 1 World Championship on October 25, 24 years after the last circuit tour of Portugal, it was announced today at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, the circuit that will host the race. For the president of the Portuguese Federation of Motorsport and Karting (FPAK), the reception of Formula 1 in Portugal is "a historic moment for FPAK".
"It is long-awaited news. Since March, work has been done to make this possible. The FPAK has intervened with the FIA and the Government. It has contributed to this project being approved. The Autódromo Internacional do Algarve has done its part with teams and rights holders", underlined Ni Amorim, in statements to the Lusa news agency.
The president stressed that the federative structure will have, "for the first time in its existence, such an event under its aegis" and confessed to feeling "enormous pride" for being "the first association president in Portugal to be able to approve a Formula 1 race."
"For me and the directors it is a huge pride because the FPAK never authorized a Formula 1 race in Portugal in the past. When it was done there was no federation. It is historic for us", justified the former driver.
