F1 will race at Portimao

By topgear, 29 July 2020
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We bring good news and bad news from the world of Formula 1. First up, the bad: F1 has confirmed it won’t travel to the Americas in 2020 “due to the fluid nature of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, local restrictions and the importance of keeping communities and our colleagues safe”. That means races in Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the USA will definitely not go ahead.

BUT the sport has confirmed three more European races for this season, taking the number of rounds announced so far to 13 (we’re expecting between 15 and 18 races to take place this year). F1 will return to the Nürburgring and Imola in October – both superb circuits that have hosted many F1 grands prix.

In between them, though, the F1 circus will travel to a circuit it’s never been to before. Joining Mugello in making its F1 debut in 2020 is Portimao in Portugal, a circuit you many well remember from last year’s spectacular TG24. The 2.9-mile track in southern Portugal opened in 2008. It has hosted F1 tests, but never a full-on race. 

The TG24, in case you’ve forgotten, gathered together 2019’s greatest driver’s cars for a 24-hour epic that eventually saw us crown the Renault Megane Trophy R, Mercedes AMG GT-R Pro and Ariel Atom 4 as best-of-the-best. Of course we also invited some worthy racers – such as the VW ID.R, Porsche 935 and Hyundai i20 WRC – and a certain Mr Chris Harris.

Have a flick through the images in the gallery below, then click here to read all the stories and watch all the videos from the best thing we did last year. You bet we’re excited to see F1 race at such a superb circuit.