Today, March 5, the news has been officially confirmed about the return of the Portuguese GP F1 this season for the second consecutive year after its premiere in 2020.

The Portimao Circuit will once again host the event, which is to take the slot of the third round of the World Championship (April 30-2 May). The addition of Portugal sets a new record of 23 races in a World Championship. 

“We are thrilled to announce that Formula 1 will be racing again in Portimao after the huge success of the race last year. We want to thank the promoter and the Portuguese Government for their hard work and dedication in getting us to this point,” said Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1.

With the inclusion of the Portuguese GP F1 round, the Formula 1 season has completed its 2021 calendar. The opening round is scheduled for the end of this month (26-28 March) with the celebration of the Bahrain GP. 

Before the curtain rises on the Championship, however, the preseason tests are due to take place from March 12-14 at the same Persian Gulf country. 

Still don’t know if spectators will be allowed in Portugal    

In 2020, 27,000 fans attended the Portuguese race in Portimao but the presence of spectators at the venue still remains in the air for 2021. 

Organizers of the Portuguese GP F1 remain hopeful about the possibility of allowing a limited number of fans into the racetrack but everything will come down to the epidemiological evolution of the coronavirus pandemic. 

“We are confident and excited about our 2021 season, having shown last year that we could deliver 17 races safely and bring our millions of fans thrilling racing at a difficult time. We hope to welcome fans to Portimao again this season in a safe way and are working with the promoter on the details of that plan.”

Formula 1 organisers are currently working closely with local promoters and with the Portuguese government to pre-empt the safety measures that would have to be brought into place if fans are finally allowed into the track.  

Rita Marques, Portugal’s Secretary of State of Tourism, added: “Holding major events in our country is very important for the image and international promotion of Portugal as a tourist destination, and so it is with great interest that we see the return of Formula 1 to the Algarve in 2021″.

“I want to thank the FIA and F1 for its confidence in Portugal, the Algarve and the Algarve International Circuit by choosing our country to host a stage of the F1 calendar, and to express our full commitment to make it a big success.”

Portugal: A solution following two cancellations  

The cancellation of April’s Vietnam GP together with the suspension of the Chinese GP, also scheduled for April, and the persistent threat of COVID-19 waves, pushed Formula 1 managers to explore alternative race hosts. The Emilia-Romagna GP in Ímola was the first such new venues.  

Between that Italian race and the Spanish GP, a weekend remained available  (April 30-May 2) and that is precisely where the Portuguese GP F1 has been slotted in, becoming the third appointment of the season, after Bahrain (March 26-28) and Ímola (April 16-18). 

The Portuguese GP F1 debut in 2020 was highly praised by both fans and participants. As a result of that success and despite not being part of the original 2021 calendar, Portugal was always the prime candidate to replace any appointment that could fall ‘victim’ to the pandemic. 

Images of Portuguese GP F1: F1.com.