Learn more about the history of the Portuguese Grand Prix, which returns to the F1 calendar in 2027 after a six-year absence.
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Formula 1 will return to Portugal in 2027, when the Portuguese Grand Prix will be held for the first time in six years. Algarve International Circuit – which hosted the last two editions of the race in 2020 and 2021 – returns to the schedule as part of an initial two-year contract.
The Portimao circuit is the latest of four venues which has hosted the Portuguese Grand Prix during its tenure on the World Championship calendar, after races in Porto, Monsanto and Estoril.
Portuguese Grand Prix Beginnings
The beginnings of the Portuguese Grand Prix can be traced back to 1951, when the race was held as a sportscar event on the Circuito da Boavista. Aside from 1956, it continued to be held annually as a sportscar race at both the Boavista circuit and the Circuito de Monsanto, both of which had fast, sweeping bends plus big elevation changes – and both of which would go on to hold F1 races.
In its time as a sportscar race, F1 names like Juan Manuel Fangio, José Froilán González and Jean Behra took victory. Boavista, in Porto, joined the F1 calendar for the first time in 1958, and hosted the first World Championship Portuguese Grand Prix.
The debut 1958 race was notable for Mike Hawthorn’s initial disqualification, after he was judged to have restarted his car against the direction of the circuit. However, title rival and race winner Stirling Moss had seen the incident and felt Hawthorn did no wrong and the decision was subsequently reversed. Had Moss not been so sporting and Hawthorn not regained his points, Moss would have been crowned World Champion at the season’s end instead of Hawthorn.
For its second appearance on the calendar in 1959, the Portuguese Grand Prix moved to the Monsanto circuit near Lisbon. Moss, being one of the only drivers to have previously driven the track, took victory for the second year in a row. It proved to be a track unsuited to hosting F1, with logistical challenges, making use of a usually busy highway and even passing over tram lines. The race was held at 5pm to avoid the intense heat of the summer sun. F1 never returned to Monsanto and it is one of 11 tracks which has hosted only a single round of the World Championship.
F1 was back at Boavista in 1960, where John Surtees took his first pole and Jim Clark secured his first podium finish. But after just three years on the calendar, this would be the end of F1 in Portugal until 1984. In the interim period, the ‘Portuguese Grand Prix’ title was used three times – once for a sportscar race in 1964, and twice for F3 races in 1965 and 1966. The three events were all held on a temporary street circuit in Cascais.
How Estoril Joined the F1 Calendar
In 1984, Formula 1 was supposed to head to New York for a race at Flushing Meadows – site of the 1964 World’s Fair. The race never materialised and was cancelled prior to the season beginning. It was then announced that a new street circuit in Spain, near Marbella, would step in as a replacement – but these plans too were cancelled just weeks later.
Instead, F1’s governing body FISA announced that a race would take place at the Estoril circuit, near Lisbon. First opened in 1972, Estoril had fallen into a state of disrepair as the decade progressed. The circuit was brought up to standard and hosted the first Portuguese Grand Prix since 1960 on October 21, 1984.
The track remained on the calendar for 13 successive seasons from 1984 to 1996 and hosted many memorable moments (read more below!).
Why Estoril Fell Off the F1 Calendar
By 1996, the Estoril circuit was once again in need of modernising. Despite being asked several times by the FIA, local authorities refused to upgrade facilities at the circuit. This would ultimately lead to the venue being removed from the calendar for the 1997 season.
Soon after the announcement, the local government pledged $6 million to improve the Estoril track and the event returned on the provisional 1998 calendar. However, the work was not completed in time and F1 never returned. The track was later redesigned and hosted motorcycle races. The circuit continued to hold an FIA Grade 1 license until January 2026.
F1’s Eventual Return to Portugal
Formula 1 returned to Portugal after a 24-year absence for the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix. The return was brought about by calendar changes due to the coronavirus pandemic. Instead of Estoril, F1 instead visited Algarve International Circuit – the Portimao track having been constructed 12 years after Estoril last hosted an F1 race. Former FIA President Max Mosley had previously indicated interest in F1 returning to Portugal when Algarve International Circuit opened in 2008.
As a result of the pandemic, the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix was held with only a limited number of fans in the grandstand, with attendance totalling 27,000. The race was staged again in 2021, this time behind closed doors.
With world travel becoming easier once more in 2022, the Portimão race was not required as a stand in event and thus lost its temporary place on the calendar. In August 2025, Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro told the media that “everything is ready” for F1’s return to Portugal, acknowledging that the event’s return would require investment from the government.
In December 2025, the return of the Portuguese Grand Prix was confirmed by Formula 1, with Algarve International Circuit returning as host as part of a two-year contract. It is expected to host its first full-capacity F1 weekend in June 2027.
Portuguese Grand Prix – Did You Know?
- Stirling Moss won the 1958 Portuguese Grand Prix with a winning margin of five minutes and 12.75 seconds – the largest winning margin F1 history.
- Ayrton Senna secured a Grand Slam at the 1985 Portuguese Grand Prix, when he took pole, led every lap and set the fastest lap on his way to victory. It is one of only two times that a driver’s first victory has been a Grand Slam result. The only other to do so was Juan Manuel Fangio at the 1950 Monaco grand Prix.
- Pierluigi Martini led a lap of the 1989 Portuguese Grand Prix. It is the only time a Minardi car led a lap in Formula 1 in the team’s 21 seasons in the sport.
- Nigel Mansell was disqualified from the 1991 Portuguese Grand Prix after losing a wheel in the pit lane. A pit crew member fitted a replacement but did so outside of the pit box, which led to the disqualification.
- Williams moved into the top three of most podium finishes for a constructor at the 1993 Portuguese Grand Prix. They remained there until the 2026 Miami Grand Prix, when they were pushed out of the top three all-time list by Mercedes.
- Michael Schumacher was banned from the 1994 Portuguese Grand Prix, which remained the last race in which neither Schumacher driver competed until the 2008 Australian Grand Prix.
- The day of the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix marked 8,799 days since the last race in the country. It was the second longest gap between World Championship Portuguese Grands Prix. Strangely, the longest gap was only 35 days longer, between the 1960 and 1984 events.
- Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas became the trio of drivers who’ve finished on the podium together on the most occasions at the 2021 Portuguese Grand Prix. This was their 15th time in the top three together.
Memorable Moments in the Portuguese Grand Prix
1984: The closest ever title decider
Estoril was host to the final round of the season and the first race at the circuit was to be a title decider. McLaren team-mates Alain Prost and Niki Lauda were the two drivers still with a shot at taking the title. Prost’s win at the previous race put him 3.5 points behind Lauda in the Drivers’ Championship. Prost would win the inaugural Estoril race but with Lauda just behind, the Austrian won his third and final title by just half a point. It remains the smallest margin by which an F1 title has been won.
1985: Senna’s first win
At the first F1 race to be held at Estoril, Ayrton Senna finished on the podium with Toleman. Now in more competitive machinery, the Brazilian dominated the 1985 Portuguese Grand Prix weekend. Driving the iconic black and gold liveried Lotus, Senna delivered a masterclass in the pouring rain. The race reached its two hour time limit, by which point Senna had built up a lead of over a minute. He’d taken pole position, set the Fastest Lap and led every lap of the race – becoming the 15th driver to record a Grand Slam in Formula 1.
1987: Prost sets a new record for most wins
At the 1987 Portuguese Grand Prix, Alain Prost recorded his 28th Grand Prix victory. By doing so, the Frenchman set a new record for most wins in Formula 1. He took the accolade from Jackie Stewart, who had been the previous record holder for fourteen years. With his victory, Prost also equalled Niki Lauda’s record tally of 54 podium finishes.
While Prost was making headlines, Adrian Campos set a more undesirable record. The Spaniard became the first driver to fail to finish twelve consecutive races. His streak would come to an end with a 14th place finish at his home event one week later.
1992: Mansell sets a new record for most wins in a season
At the 1992 Portuguese Grand Prix, Nigel Mansell took his ninth win of the 1992 season, eclipsing Ayrton Senna’s record of eight wins in 1988. Mansell’s record for most wins in a year has since been beaten in 13 seasons, by Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.
While Mansell was making history, Mansell’s Williams team-mate Riccardo Patrese made contact with the rear of Gerhard Berger’s McLaren in the race. The car of the experienced Italian was sent somersaulting through the air, sliding to a stop down the pit straight. The two drivers were unharmed in the dramatic incident.
1993: Prost wins his final title
Alain Prost announced his retirement from Formula 1 just ahead of the 1993 Portuguese Grand Prix weekend. While Michael Schumacher took his only win of the season, Prost’s second place was enough to secure his fourth and final title. Prost finished just 0.982s behind Schumacher in the race.
1995: Coulthard takes his maiden win
Having secured his maiden podium finish at the 1994 Portuguese Grand Prix, David Coulthard went one better the following year and became a Grand Prix winner at Estoril. Driving for Williams, Coulthard took pole with an advantage of almost four tenths over team-mate Damon Hill.
This race was also notable for a large accident for Ukyo Katayama at the start. After connecting with Luca Badoer’s Minardi, Katayama flipped and rolled multiple times down the pit straight. The race was halted, and the Japanese driver spent two days in hospital before making a full recovery.
2020: Hamilton breaks F1’s win record
Just as Alain Prost had done in Portugal in 1987, Lewis Hamilton broke F1’s all-time win record at the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix. He secured a 92nd victory on F1’s first visit to Algarve International Circuit, overtaking Michael Schumacher who had sat atop the list since the 2001 Belgian Grand Prix.
The 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix is also remembered for Kimi Raikkonen’s antics on the first lap. On an opening lap which featured plenty of jostling for position, the Alfa Romeo driver made his way from 16th on the grid to seventh by the end of Lap 1!
Portuguese Grand Prix Facts
| Circuit Name | Algarve International Circuit (Portimão) |
| First race | 2020 |
| Track Length | 4.653km (15 turns) |
| Race Distance | 66 laps (306.826 km) |
| Lap Record | 1:18.750, Lewis Hamilton, (Mercedes, 2020) |
| 2021 Result | 1st Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1:34:31.421 |
| 2nd Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +29.148s | |
| 3rd Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) +33.530s |
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