The Portuguese Grand Prix has one of the most unusual timelines in Formula 1. It began life on daunting street circuits, disappeared for long stretches, returned as a classic Estoril-era staple, then reappeared in the pandemic seasons at Portimão. Now it has a confirmed future on the calendar again, with Formula 1 set to return to Portugal in 2027 and 2028.
What To Know?
- Stirling Moss owned the early era with two wins across the 1958 to 1960 World Championship spell.
- Estoril delivered major milestones, including Ayrton Senna’s first Formula 1 victory in 1985.
- Hamilton’s 2020 win was record-breaking, earning his 92nd career victory to surpass Schumacher’s all-time wins record.
- Portugal is officially coming back, with Formula 1 confirming a Portuguese Grand Prix return in 2027 and 2028 at Portimão.
List of Every Portuguese Grand Prix Winner
Portuguese Grand Prix Winners: 1958 to 1960
Portugal’s first Formula 1 World Championship editions were split between the rough-edged coastal streets of Boavista in Porto and the fast, tree-lined Monsanto roads near Lisbon. Stirling Moss was the defining figure, winning in 1958 and 1959 with two different teams as Portugal’s early F1 chapter became closely tied to his skill on unforgiving public-road tracks.
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The final race of this first spell came in 1960, when Jack Brabham won for Cooper, closing the book on Portugal’s original World Championship run before a long absence.
Portuguese Grand Prix Winners: 1984 to 1996
When Portugal returned in 1984, it did so at Estoril, and the race immediately became a place where seasons pivoted. Alain Prost won the comeback event in 1984, and Estoril soon delivered another landmark when Ayrton Senna took his first Formula 1 victory in the rain in 1985.
The late 1980s and early 1990s produced a roll call of stars and flashpoint races. Prost added further wins, Gerhard Berger claimed Ferrari success in 1989, and Nigel Mansell became one of the event’s most frequent winners across multiple teams. Estoril also rewarded opportunists and rising forces: Riccardo Patrese won in 1991, Michael Schumacher won in 1993, and the mid-1990s saw victories for Damon Hill and David Coulthard, before Jacques Villeneuve ended the Estoril era with a statement win in 1996.
After repeated issues around facilities and upgrades, the Portuguese Grand Prix fell off the calendar again.
Portuguese Grand Prix Winners: 2020 to 2021
Portugal’s modern return came at the Algarve International Circuit in Portimão, drafted in during the disrupted 2020 season and kept for 2021. Both races were won by Lewis Hamilton for Mercedes, and the 2020 edition became historically significant when Hamilton took his 92nd career win, breaking Michael Schumacher’s long-standing record for most Formula 1 victories.
Portimão then disappeared from the schedule again, but not for long. Formula 1 has officially confirmed that Portugal will be back in 2027 and 2028, returning the Portuguese Grand Prix to the calendar for two seasons.
More F1 Race Winners
From Adelaide to Silverstone to Monza and Spa, we chart the full story of every F1 winner from each event’s first race to the last.
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