Grand Prix of Portugal

The Grand Prix of Portugal (also known as the Portuguese GP) has owned a sporadic presence on the MotoGP calendar since its debut running in the 1987 500cc season.

Premier class Grand Prix racing most recently revived the Portuguese GP in 2020 as MotoGP sealed a visit to Portimao as a replacement race amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet the circuit proved such a huge hit with riders and fans that MotoGP made Portugal a permanent round.

MotoGP had removed the Portuguese Grand Prix as a permanent round of its calendar after the 2012 season. But the series’ meet at Portimao in 2020 ushered in the race’s third era on the schedule. The 500cc world championship had held the inaugural Portuguese GP in 1987.

History of the MotoGP Grand Prix of Portugal

The Portuguese Grand Prix has enjoyed sporadic spells on the world championship calendar. Yet the debut running of the race in 1987 was not actually held in Portugal, with the Circuito del Jarama 32 kilometres (20m) north of Madrid in Spain staging the 500cc race that year.

Despite the 1987 race taking place in Spain, it retained the Grand Prix of Portugal name due to the 500cc world championship’s rules stating only one round could use the Grand Prix of Spain moniker – with that name allocated to the first Spanish Grand Prix to be held at Jerez.

Spain was desperate to stage an additional Grand Prix as interest was rapidly growing in the 500cc world championship. So, when plans to stage the Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril fell through, Spain jumped at a chance to secure the rights to the round and move it to Jarama.

The same circumstances would not carry over to 1988 when the Portuguese Grand Prix due to be held at Estoril again fell through. Instead, Spain secured another round with Jerez this time staging the Expo 92 Grand Prix – although 500cc records class it as the Portuguese GP.

Why did MotoGP stop staging the Portuguese GP at Estoril in favour of Portimao?

Estoril would not stage the first Portuguese Grand Prix actually in Portugal until 2000. But it would hold a permanent place on the calendar through 2012. Despite the circuit remaining well-liked among the paddock with its exciting turns, Estoril needed a lot of costly upgrades.

Only the FIM, IRTA and Dorna Sports striving to add another round to the MotoGP calendar in 2020 would see the Portuguese GP return, but this time at Portimao. The circuit was one of MotoGP’s reserve tracks since 2017 and proved its credentials hosting World Superbikes.

Valentino Rossi, Honda and Yamaha dominated the Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril

With the first two runnings of the Portuguese Grand Prix (including the 1988 Expo 92 Grand Prix) taking place in Spain, American rider Eddie Lawson boasts the unusual honour of being the only premier class rider to ever win a Portuguese Grand Prix not actually run in Portugal.

Lawson took his Team Agostini Yamaha bike to the top step of the podium at Jarama in 1987 and Jerez in 1988. At both editions, the Californian also led an all-Yamaha podium lockout. He led Randy Mamola and Kevin Magee at Jarama before Wayne Rainey and Magee at Jerez.

A Yamaha bike also achieved the first Portuguese Grand Prix win in Portugal as Garry McCoy won the 2000 running at Estoril for the Red Bull WCM crew. But Yamaha’s dominance of the round was over in 2001, as Valentino Rossi started his reign over the Portuguese Grand Prix.

Rossi won four straight visits to Estoril from 2001-04, scoring his first victory with the Nastro Azzurro team before taking two for the factory Honda crew and one with the works Yamaha squad. He even added another in 2007 to start a new era of Yamaha dominance in Portugal.

Thanks partly to Rossi’s wins in 2001, 2002 and 2003, Honda bikes were often the machines to beat to win a Portuguese GP at Estoril until 2007. Alex Barros and Toni Elias secured wins on Honda bikes at Estoril in 2005 and 2006 for Honda Pons and Fortuna Honda respectively.

Yet, realistically, it should not have been Elias who won the Portuguese GP at Estoril in 2006. Victory was calling for Kenny Roberts Jr that year but the American answered his phone one lap too soon and celebrated winning the Portuguese GP, fading to P3 behind Elias and Rossi.

Elias took the chequered flag only 0.002 seconds in front of Rossi, as well, after a fierce final lap fight that left Colin Edwards 0.864s behind in fourth. Honda duo Dani Pedrosa and Nicky Hayden should have been in the fight, too, yet crashed out when the former caught a bump.

But Rossi’s 2007 victory opened the floodgates for Yamaha at the Portuguese GP, with Jorge Lorenzo scoring three in a row from 2008-2010. Yet Pedrosa and Casey Stoner would ensure Honda bowed out on top at Estoril, after winning the final meetings there in 2011 and 2012.

Home rider Miguel Oliveira won the first Portuguese Grand Prix at Portimao in 2020

It would take until MotoGP revived the Portuguese Grand Prix at Portimao in 2020 for a new constructor to win in Portugal. The round’s return to the calendar also saw a home rider win as Miguel Oliveira made his dreams a reality at the 2020 Portuguese GP on a KTM for Tech3.

Almada-born Oliveira was quick from the off as MotoGP staged its 2020 season-finale at the Portuguese GP. The Tech3 star also got pole position with a 1:38.892 to deny Petronas SRT’s Franco Morbidelli by 0.044 seconds with Suzuki’s newly-crowned champion Joan Mir in P20.

A great launch off the line ensured Morbidelli could not draw level let alone show Oliveira a wheel into Turn 1. His mission was clear and the Tech3 star was not going to waste a chance to win at home, so Oliveira simply flew off into the distance to win the 2020 Portuguese GP.

Oliveira was entirely in a class of his own during the 2020 Portuguese GP as the main action at Portimao came thanks to Morbidelli and Jack Miller fighting all race for second place. The Petronas SRT and Pramac pair were nearly inseparable, with Miller taking P2 on the last lap.

What is the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve like?

Portimao, or as it is officially called the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, is often called a rollercoaster of a race track thanks to the home of the MotoGP Portuguese Grand Prix being 15 corners of perfection over 4.5km (2.9m) of rolling hills 30 minutes from the Algarve coast.

The circuit is a true challenge to master with every turn offering a test for a MotoGP rider on each lap of a Portuguese GP. Pilots arrive at the fastest point of the track at Turn 1 (Primeira) having to brake whilst coming over a crest of the trademark hill which makes the pit straight.

It is also all too easy to exceed track limits exiting T1 before Turn 3 (Lagos) offers the second overtaking point braking hard for the tight right-hander. Passes are also possible into Turn 4, but making a move through the left-hander will pose a risk onto the second-longest straight.

Riders also want their bikes settled as they charge over the hill toward the Turn 5 (Torre Vip) hairpin, which presents another of the main overtaking points at Portimao. Fights at T5 also often continue to Turn 7 and into Turn 8 as riders can strive to hang on around the outside.

The run from T8 through to Turn 13 is Portimao’s most technical segment and often includes a short flight over the crest before Turn 9 (Craig Jones). Battles that start at Turn 10 will even often extend through the downhill run for Turn 12 and into the heavy braking point into T13.

It is then crucial to get a good exit through the long, right-hand Turn 14 (Sagres) as it sets up the run to the finish line. The sharp, downhill drop that is Turn 15 (Galp) punishes the edge of a rider’s tyres as they charge to the line to complete a lap of the Portuguese GP at Portimao.

Winners of the MotoGP Grand Prix of Portugal

Below, MotoGP News has listed every premier class rider to win the Portuguese Grand Prix so far. This table includes the 1987 and 1988 editions staged at Jarama and Jerez in Spain.