#Formula1 Heineken #PortugueseGP 2020 Preview. #F1

After Lewis Hamilton recorded his 91^st-career victory and equalling the legendary seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher for most victories in the sport at the Eifel Grand Prix, Round 12 of the 2020 FIA Formula One World Championship this weekend heads to the Autodromo Internacional Do Algarve in Portimao, Portugal for the Formula 1 Heineken Grande Premio De Portugal 2020. This will be the 17^th Portuguese Grand Prix as part of the Formula One World Championship calendar since its inception in 1950.

 

 

Portuguese GP Preview – A look at the Autodromo Internacional Do Algarve

 

 

The 100,000 capacity Autodromo Internacional Do Algarve (known as the Portimao Circuit) is a permanent 4.692km (2.915 miles) racing circuit located in Portimao, Portugal. With a total cost of €195 million (approximately $250 million), the racing facility features a karting track, technology park, five-star hotel, sports complex, and apartments.

 

Construction was finished in October 2008 and the circuit was homologated by both the FIM on 11 October 2008 and the FIA a couple of days later. The track was designed by Architect, Ricardo Pina. In October 2010, the teams agreed to add the Autodromo Internacional Do Algarve to the Formula One testing schedule alongside Bahrain.

 

In September 2013, the company that manages the Portimao Circuit, Parkalgar Serviços, was taken over by Portugal Capital Ventures, which is a Portuguese state-owned venture capitalist, placing the circuit under state management. The sale was forced by the debts accumulated by Parkalgar Serviços, believed to be approximately 160 million Euros.

 

In July 2020 it was announced that the circuit would host the Formula 1 Heineken Grande Premio De Portugal 2020 from 23 to 25 October 2020, as part of a revised calendar arising from the disruption caused by the Coronavirus pandemic. This marks the first time a Portuguese Grand Prix will be held since the 1996 event which was held at the Autodromo Do Estoril.

 

The circuit will also play host to the season-finale of the 2020 MotoGP season from November 20 to 22.

 

The track hosted the final round of the World Superbike Championship on 2 November 2008. On June 9, the circuit was confirmed to host a round of the 2008-09 A1 Grand Prix Championship season. The race was scheduled for the weekend of 12 April 2009. On 10 October 2008, the Le Mans Series announced a 1000km night race to be held at the Autodromo Internacional Do Algarve on 2 August 2009.

 

On 5 November 2008, the FIA GT World Championship announced that the 7th round of the 2009 season will be held at Portimao on 13 September 2009. A Formula 1 testing session, with McLaren and Honda, was scheduled for 15–17 December 2008. Ferrari also ran at the circuit. Toyota also tested at the track on 20 January 2009 in the initial running of their new TF109 contender. The Autodromo Internacional Do Algarve also hosted the final round of the 2009 GP2 Series season in September 2009. From 2010 it contested a round of the FIA World Touring Car Championship. Due to changes to the 2020 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, The Autodromo Internacional Do Algarve is now set to host the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix.

 

On April 4 2009, then FIA-Boss Max Mosely stated that based on the quality of the track it could integrate the Formula 1 World Championship under the guise of the Portuguese Grand Prix, as long as a commercial agreement with Formula One Management is achieved.

 

The circuit has a resemblance to the old Nurburgring and Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, mainly because of its constant undulation. A1 Grand Prix Team Portugal’s driver Filipe Albuquerque said that there are big downhill slopes and right-hand corners after the main straight. He also stated that the circuit is good for overtaking because the track width. A1 Grand Prix Team New Zealand’s Earl Bamber also said there are many special corners with personality. He commented that the new track is a little bit dangerous like old school circuits with a roller coaster ride. A1 Grand Prix Team France’s driver Nicolas Prost confirmed that the asphalt is new, and the circuit has less grip.

 

It was been confirmed that one of the corners of the track was named after former World Supersport rider Craig Jones who was tragically killed in a motorcycle crash at Brands Hatch in 2008.

 

The first episode of The Grand Tour, “The Holy Trinity” was filmed at the circuit in 2016.

 

The Autodromo Internacional De Algarve GP Circuit is 4.653 kilometres (2.891 miles) in length with 15 corners and runs in a clockwise direction.

 

Race distance is 306.826 kilometres (190.652 miles) in length with 66 laps in total.

 

Four-time World Champion Alain Prost and One-time World Champion Nigel Mansell hold the record for most Portuguese Grand Prix victories with three to their respective names.

 

Williams Racing holds the record for most Portuguese Grand Prix victories with six.

 

Portuguese GP Preview – Last Five Portuguese Grand Prix Winners

 

 

1996: Jacques Villeneuve, Williams-Renault (Estoril). 1995: David Coulthard, Williams-Renault (Estoril). 1994: Damon Hill, Williams-Renault (Estoril). 1993: Michael Schumacher, Benetton-Ford (Estoril). 1992: Nigel Mansell, Williams-Renault (Estoril).

 

History of the Portuguese Grand Prix

 

 

There have been 16 Grands Prix in Portugal, with the first three switching between the Boavista and Monsanto circuits, before the loved Autodromo Do Estoril took its place on the Formula 1 calendar between 1984 and 1996.

 

There have been plenty of special moments and legends that have claimed victory in Portugal.

 

The late-great Sir Stirling Moss won the debut 1958 Portuguese Formula 1 Grand Prix race in Monsanto driving for Vanwall. Ferrari’s Mike Hawthorn (who won the 1958 Driver’s World Championship) was disqualified for restarting his car at the inaugural event against the direction of the circuit, losing seven championship points. However, title-rival, Sir Stirling Moss, saw the incident, which caused the disqualification and went to the judges to reverse the decision since he felt Hawthorn had done nothing wrong. Eventually, Hawthorn was re-classified and retained his seven points.

 

The debut race at Estoril was also one to be remembered, concluding the 1984 Formula One season, which featured two icons fighting for the title, Niki Lauda, and Alain Prost. Prost won the race, but Lauda claimed the championship by 0.5 points, the smallest margin in F1 history.

 

The following year’s event saw Ayrton Senna clinch his maiden Formula 1 victory for Team Lotus in a very wet Grand Prix.

 

Williams’ Jacques Villeneuve won the final Portuguese Grand Prix in 1996 before it dropped off the F1 calendar.

 

You can read more on the Portuguese Grand Prix here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_Grand_Prix

 

Portuguese GP Preview – Tyres

 

 

Pirelli will be bringing with them to Portugal, the C1 white side-walled Hard tyres, the C2 yellow-marked Mediums and the red-branded C3 Softs alongside the green side-walled Intermediates and blue-marked Full Wets in-case of rain.

 

Drivers will have three sets of the hards, three sets of the mediums and seven sets of the softs.

 

 

DRS Zones

 

There will only be one DRS zone at the Autodromo Internacional Do Algarve, with the detection point 65 metres after turn 14 with the activation point 125 metres after the final corner.

 

Pit-Lane Speed Limits

 

Pit-lane speed limits will be 80kph during practice, qualifying and the race.

 

ICYMI Eifel GP Rewind – Hamilton equals Schumacher’s record with 91^st-career victory

 

 

Lewis Hamilton equalled the legendary Michael Schumacher for most victories in Formula One at 91 after winning the Eifel GP as Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas retired due to a power-unit failure with Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen second and Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo scoring his first podium since the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix.

 

When the 60 lap Eifel GP began, Hamilton made a perfect run off the line and pulled alongside pole-sitting team-mate Bottas approaching turn one.

 

The two F1 W11 EQ Power+ racers went deep into the right-hand corner, going wide into the run-off area on the exit as Bottas held on around the outside, which gave the Finn the inside line into the second corner and was able to wrestle his way through to get back into the lead.

 

Bottas pulled clear of Hamilton around the rest of the opening lap, ensuring that he was comfortably out of DRS range, increasing his gap slowly over the next few tours.

 

However, Bottas’ lead never went above two seconds as he, Hamilton and Verstappen rapidly pulled clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who was holding up Ricciardo and second Red Bull of Alexander Albon.

 

The front-three were the only drivers to lap in the 1:32’s during the early stages on the C4 red side-walled softer compounds, with Leclerc almost 20 seconds off the lead by the time Ricciardo overtook the Monegasque-youngster around the outside of turn two on the ninth lap.

 

At this point, Hamilton began to eat into Bottas’ advantage, and just after the Briton gained three tenths on the 12^th tour, the Finn locked up heavily into the first corner at the start of the following lap and ran deep.

 

Hamilton immediately went around the outside of turn one and claimed first place, with Verstappen quickly behind the rear of Bottas’ Mercedes, who pitted at the end of lap 13 to switch his softs for mediums.

 

This became costly for the Finn a few laps later, when the virtual safety car was deployed as Williams Racing’s George Russell peeled off the track after sustaining damage due to an incident with Alfa Romeo Racing’s Kimi Raikkonen who tipped the FW43 onto its left-hand wheels when he lost the rear of his C39 racer following Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel closely into the first corner, on the run-down to the turn-one hairpin.

 

The virtual safety car meant Hamilton, who moved further clear from Verstappen with a series of faster laps in the 1:31’s after claiming the lead, and the latter were able to pit and make a significant gain compared to Bottas.

 

The situation got worse for Bottas when he fell behind McLaren’s Lando Norris and Racing Point’s Sergio Perez, who were both yet to pit having been running behind Ricciardo before the Australian stopped under the VSC, reporting a loss of power.

 

The problem got worse over the next tour despite the Finn receiving numerous reset instructions and was forced to come in at the end of the lap and retire due to an MGU-H (Motor Generator Unit-Heat) failure.

 

Verstappen gained two seconds on race leader Hamilton as Red Bull made a quicker pit-stop, and momentarily got under two seconds behind the Briton as they both lapped in the 1:30’s, but the Mercedes driver was quickly able to re-build a clear gap.

 

As Hamilton gradually increased his lead over the mid-way point of the Grand Prix, taking it over ten seconds for the first time at the 42^nd tour, the focus turned to the fight for the final podium place.

 

Ricciardo’s stop during the VSC meant he would have to run a longer stint on a one-stop-strategy, with his rival in the battle becoming Perez after Norris was hit with a power issue that McLaren could not resolve with a string of reset instructions.

 

Perez who ran a long stint to the 30^th lap on the softer tyres, then caught Leclerc’s SF1000 racer, who pitted after being overtaken by Ricciardo earlier on, and it was the Mexican’s turn to lose time behind the Monegasque-youngster.

 

When Perez did reach the chicane on the 35^th tour, he was 17.5 seconds adrift of the Renault and rapidly set-about to cut the gap.

 

Perez gained four seconds over the next five laps, but the race was interrupted again approaching the races final 15 when Norris pulled off at turn six, with the right-rear bodywork of his MCL35 racer smoking and the safety car was deployed.

 

Mercedes, Red Bull and Renault brought their drivers in as quickly as they could, with Racing Point leaving Perez out on his medium rubber before he followed suit to put on a set of softs, which the leaders also opted for.

 

The safety car remained out until there were ten laps remaining, with Hamilton and Verstappen complaining about its speed as they weaved viciously to keep heat in their tyres on the fourth-straight day of cold weather at the Nurburgring.

 

When the race resumed, Hamilton already pulled clear of Verstappen at the chicane, when the Dutchman fell under attack from Ricciardo into the first corner, where he was able to stand his ground.

 

The top-two were able to lap in the 1:28’s – with Hamilton posting a series of fastest lap times to increase his lead – as Ricciardo, after momentarily coming under pressure from Perez following his failed attempt to take second place, slowly pulled clear from Perez.

 

The front positions remained stable over the final few tours as Hamilton pulled clear to take the Eifel GP victory and equal the record with the Briton 4.470 seconds clear of Verstappen as the latter posted the fastest lap on the last tour.

 

Ricciardo came home in third place and 1.4 seconds clear of Perez.

 

McLaren’s Carlos Sainz completed the top five and in-front of AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly, who passed Leclerc after the safety car as the Monegasque-youngster had run behind the top five due to not pitting during the final race caution.

 

Racing Point’s substitute Nico Hulkenberg came up from the rear to finish eighth – his cause aided by the deployment of the safety car, which also helped Haas F1 Team’s Romain Grosjean who clinched his first points in 2020 as he came ninth on a one-stop-strategy, holding off Alfa Romeo Racing’s Antonio Giovinazzi, who pitted just before the safety car.

 

Ferrari’s Vettel finished in the same place as he started, in 11^th place as the German spun whilst trying to pass Giovinazzi’s Alfa in the early stages, then having a tangle with Haas F1 Team’s Kevin Magnussen in the final tours (with the Dane taking 13^th place behind Raikkonen, who was hit with a ten-second time penalty for causing Russell’s retirement, but the Finn claimed the record for most Grand Prix starts from Rubens Barrichello).

 

Albon and Renault’s Esteban Ocon were the other retirees from the race as they stopped due to power-unit and hydraulics problems respectively in the pits, with the Thai-Briton being hit with a five-second timed penalty for taking off Daniil Kvyat’s front wing as he swept across the AlphaTauri going into the last corner during the early stages.

 

Kvyat finished at the rear behind Williams Racing’s Nicholas Latifi.

 

The Situation

 

 

Lewis Hamilton heads to Portugal sitting on top of the World Driver’s Championship with 230 points and a 69-point advantage over team-mate Valtteri Bottas who is second on 161 points while Max Verstappen is a further 83 points behind the Briton in third on 147 points.

 

A victory for Hamilton in Portimao this weekend would see the Briton take top spot on the all-time winners list with 92, and also should secure his record-equalling seventh World Championship crown with only five races remaining.

 

Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport go to Portimao on top of the Constructors Championship with 391 points and a 180-point lead over nearest rivals Aston Martin Red Bull Racing who are second on 211 points while BWT Racing Point F1 Team are third on 120 points and a further 271 behind the Silver Arrows.

 

Mercedes also have the initial chance to clinch its seventh-consecutive World Constructors Championship, although the permutations seem a long shot at the moment.

 

Red Bull and Max Verstappen look likely to be a threat to the Silver Arrows – particularly after Mercedes chief Toto Wolff confirmed the team have stopped developing their F1 W11 EQ Power+ racers.

 

The fight for fourth-place in the Driver’s Championship is intensifying, with Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo now ahead, whilst Racing Point, McLaren and Renault are closely-matched in the battle for third in the Constructor’s Championship standings.

 

You can see the 2020 Formula 1 Driver’s (Top 10) and Constructors Championship Standings here.

 

The Formula 1 Heineken Grande Premio De Portugal 2020 race weekend kicks off Friday October 23 with Free Practice 1 and 2, followed by Free Practice 3 and Qualifying Saturday October 24 and the 66 lap Race Sunday October 24.

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#EifelGP Report: @LewisHamilton equals @Schumacher’s record with 91st victory. #F1