Portugal’s back on the grid map — at least if Prime Minister Luís Montenegro gets his way. Speaking at an event in the Algarve, Montenegro said the government is ready to formalise Formula 1’s return to Portimão from 2027, pitching it as smart investment rather than vanity project.
“One of the circumstances that most contributes to promoting this region is major events,” he said, noting MotoGP has already been secured for 2025 and 2026. “We have everything ready to formalise the return of Formula 1 to the Algarve in 2027… These events require some financial effort on the part of the government, but they have a direct financial return and an indirect promotional return that are well worth it.”
It’s a bold statement, even if the deal isn’t done. F1’s calendar caps at 24 races and most slots are already tied up for the medium term. Openings will appear — but so will rivals. Thailand’s well-backed push for a Bangkok street race is widely considered the frontrunner among new bids, and government support is non‑negotiable in today’s F1. That’s a tick in Portugal’s column. It’s also where other projects stumble: South Africa’s efforts remain split between Kyalami and Cape Town with no unified funding, while Nigeria’s interest has yet to move the needle with Formula One Management.
Portugal’s case is refreshingly low-friction. There’s no new build, no street layout to homologate. The Algarve International Circuit is already up to F1 standard, has hosted the world championship twice (2020 and 2021), and brings a proper European motorsport pedigree. The 4.6 km rollercoaster with its blind crests and plunging drops won over drivers during the pandemic-era return, and it can hold around 100,000 fans. It also anchors MotoGP and has previously staged the World Endurance Championship.
Strategically, it fits a wider jigsaw. As F1 stretches east and doubles down in the U.S., there’s still a need to protect the sport’s European core. With the Dutch GP expected to fall away, the Spanish GP out of contract after next year, and Belgium moving to a rotation from 2027 — skipping 2028 entirely — there’s a gap to plug. Portimão could slide in annually or share a rotating slot with the likes of Spa.
History doesn’t hurt either. Portugal’s F1 lineage runs from late‑1950s street races in Porto and Monsanto to a 13-year stint at Estoril from 1984, where Jacques Villeneuve won the final edition in 1996. Portimão brought it back when the world needed flexible venues — now Portugal wants permanence.
Nothing’s guaranteed when the calendar horse-trading begins, but if F1 wants a cost‑sensible, crowd‑pleasing European addition with government backing, Portugal’s 2027 pitch is very much in the fight.
