Formula 1 is pleased to announce the return of FORMULA 1 HEINEKEN GRAND PRIX PORTUGAL, in Portimão, between the 30th of April and the 2nd of May, as part of the 23 tests of the FIA calendar for the 2021 ™ Formula 1 World Championship.
In October 2020, Portimão entered the Formula 1® calendar for the first time, with the return to Portugal after 24 years of absence. The circuit featured an exciting race who took Lewis Hamilton to the top of the podium, alongside Valtteri Bottas and Max Verstappen. We had the pleasure of receiving 27,000 fans during the Grand Prix weekend, last season, to enjoy the great moments of action on the track.
Autódromo Internacional do Algarve are working closely with the promoter and the Portuguese Government regarding the presence of spectators this year too. "Priority is safety of all who accompany us as well as of all the countries we visit, having proved last season it was possible to run races safely, in the middle of a pandemic. We hope that a decision will be taken by the authorities on the presence of spectators in the coming weeks and that we will update whenever more information is available."
Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1®:
"We are very excited to announce that Formula 1® will be back in Portimão, after the huge success of the race last year. We want to thank the Promoter and the Portuguese Government for the hard work and dedication to return the race to Portugal. We are confident and excited about the 2021 season, as we were able to demonstrate last year that it is possible to run 17 races safely and promote together from our millions of followers, exciting races even in difficult times. We hope to receive again this year, spectators in Portimão safely and we are working with the promoter in the details of that plan ".
Rita Marques, Secretary of State for Tourism of Portugal:
"The holding of major events in our country, is very important for the image and promotion Internacional de Portugal as a tourist destination and, therefore, it is with great pleasure that we see the return of Formula 1® to the Algarve in 2021. I want to thank the FIA and F1 ™ for their confidence demonstrated in Portugal, the Algarve and the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, choosing the our country to receive another round of the F1 calendar and express our total
commitment to making the event a huge success. "
Support Races
To complete the weekend, the Championship is joined as support races International GT Open that returns to the Algarve circuit, after its last race in Portimão,
in 2013 and which is accompanied by the Euroformula Open, which will make its debut in the Algarve. To close a large racing program, we also have the first race of the season of the Portuguese Championship of Speed by Sport TV, the only Portuguese competition in the Formula 1 Grand Prix.
