THE 2021 PORTUGUESE GRAND PRIX
ROUND 3. 30th April – 2nd May.
1038th F1 GRAND PRIX | 27th PORTUGUESE GRAND PRIX | 2nd GRAND PRIX AT ALGARVE INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT
2020 POLESITTER: LEWIS HAMILTON | 2020 WINNER: LEWIS HAMILTON
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday 30th April
Free Practice 1 (11:30am Local Time/ 11:30am UK Time)
Free Practice 2 (3pm Local Time/ 3pm UK Time)
Saturday 1st May
Free Practice 3 (12pm Local Time/ 12pm UK Time)
Qualifying (3pm Local Time/ 3pm UK Time)
Sunday 2nd May
The 2021 Portuguese Grand Prix (3pm Local Time/ 3pm UK Time)
WEEKEND MILESTONES
- This will be the 500th race in which a Mercedes-powered car has competed. Mercedes become the fourth engine manufacturer to reach the milestone.
- This will be the first time that the Portuguese Grand Prix has been run in consecutive years since 1995 and 1996.
READ MORE IN MILESTONES AND RECORDS TO BREAK
WEEKEND NOTES
There will be two DRS zones at the 2021 Portuguese Grand Prix, one more than at the 2020 event. While the original DRS zone on the main straight has been shortened slightly, the second activation zone has been added on the back straight.
PORTIMAO TRACK GUIDE
In 2020, the Portuguese Grand Prix returned to the Formula 1 calendar for the first time since 1996.
As a result of calendar changes due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the sport returns to Portugal for the first time since 1996 in 2020. The relatively new Algarve International Circuit, commonly referred to as Portimao, will be the host for the event’s return. Constructed in 2008, the circuit is located in the south of the country. The complex cost close to $250 million to build, with the financial strain delaying the project by some six years from the project being revealed back in 2002. When building work eventually began, construction took only seven months.
The track’s undulating nature makes it a real challenge for drivers, with corners reminiscent of sections of legendary circuits such as Spa-Francorchamps and Imola. Max Mosley first gave hope of a revival of the Portuguese Grand Prix in 2009, stating that the Algarve circuit could host a race if a commercial agreement could be reached. By this point, the series had already used the venue for winter testing ahead of the 2009 season. At the end of 2009, F1’s feeder series GP2 visited the track for the final round of the season. The circuit faced financial hardships in the following years, and talk of F1’s return to Portugal amounted to little. The venue recovered from its financial situation with new ownership, and bounced back to host a multitude of racing series.
READ MORE IN OUR ULTIMATE TRACK GUIDE
PRESS CONFERENCE SCHEDULES
The world’s media will have the opportunity to talk to the drivers on the Thursday before the race. All 20 drivers will appear in the press conference at the Portuguese Grand Prix, which will take place virtually.
The media will also be talking to prominent members of Formula 1’s teams on Friday. The team members appearing in the Teams’ Press Conference for this race weekend are Zak Brown (McLaren), Toto Wolff (Mercedes), Christian Horner (Red Bull), Marcin Budkoswki (Alpine), Laurent Mekies (Ferrari) and Toyoharu Tanabe (Honda).
DRIVER STEWARD
Each weekend a former Formula 1 driver, or a driver from another prominent series of motorsport, joins the stewards to help judge any incidents from a drivers’ perspective. The Driver Steward this weekend is Tom Kristensen.
WEATHER FORECAST
The weather forecast for the week ahead at the circuit currently looks like this:
[wpc-weather id=”13095″/]
TYRE SELECTIONS
In 2021, each team will be supplied with the same selection of tyres by Pirelli: two sets of hard compounds, three sets of medium compounds and eight sets of soft compounds. Pirelli will supply the C1, C2 and C3 compounds for this race weekend.
2020 PORTUGUESE GP RECAP
Formula 1 made its first visit to the Algarve International Circuit for the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix, where Lewis Hamilton took a record-breaking 92nd Grand Prix win.
At the first Portuguese Grand Prix since 1996, Lewis Hamilton started from the front of the grid having beaten team-mate Valtteri Bottas to pole position by a tenth of a second. Max Verstappen immediately passed Bottas at the start, as the grid struggled to find grip. As Bottas re-passed Verstappen, the Red Bull driver made contact with Sergio Perez, spinning the Mexican to the back of the pack. Bottas took the lead as Carlos Sainz moved his McLaren into third place, and promptly passed Hamilton for second. While Kimi Raikkonen made up ten positions in the slippery conditions on Lap 1, Sainz was on the move again, this time taking the lead from Bottas. The Spaniard led until Lap 6, when the Mercedes found their way back to the front. Lap 20 saw the two Mercedes switch positions as Hamilton re-took the lead. Lance Stroll collided with Lando Norris as he attempted to move into seventh place. Former team-mates Perez and Esteban Ocon went wheel to wheel, with Perez taking fifth place. By the end of the race, Gasly was hunting down Perez for fifth. The AlphaTauri driver eventually won that battle. Hamilton took the win, setting a new all-time record for most Grand Prix victories. Bottas finished second, with Verstappen in third place.
FASTEST EVER LAP
RECENT FASTEST LAPS IN EACH SESSION
| Session | 2020 |
| Free Practice 1 | 1:18.410 (Valtteri Bottas) |
| Free Practice 2 | 1:17.940 (Valtteri Bottas) |
| Free Practice 3 | 1:16.654 (Valtteri Bottas) |
| Qualifying | 1:16.652 (Lewis Hamilton) |
| Grand Prix | 1:18.750 (Lewis Hamilton) |
