Formula 1 will return to Portugal in 2027 and 2028, with Portimão confirmed on the future race calendar. The Portuguese Grand Prix will replace the Dutch GP at Zandvoort, which has already been confirmed to leave the schedule after the 2026 season.
Portugal’s return marks a familiar stop for Formula 1 fans, with Portimão having previously hosted races during the disrupted 2020 and 2021 seasons, when the championship calendar was reshaped in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Algarve International Circuit will now rejoin the calendar as the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort bows out following the 2026 season, bringing an end to its recent run as one of Formula 1’s most atmospheric European events.
At 4.6km in length, the Portimão circuit is widely regarded as one of the more demanding tracks on the calendar. Its flowing layout, significant elevation changes and blind crests challenge drivers throughout the lap, before a steep descent into the final right-hander that feeds back onto the pit straight.
Portugal’s connection to Formula 1 stretches back decades. The country first staged a Grand Prix in Porto in 1958, while further races were later held at Monsanto and Estoril, contributing to a rich legacy across the championship’s 75-year history.
More recently, Portimão provided the backdrop for a landmark moment in F1 history. It was at the Algarve circuit in 2021 that Lewis Hamilton overtook Michael Schumacher’s long-standing record for the most Grand Prix victories, claiming his 92nd career win. Hamilton remains the only driver on the current grid to have won at Portimão, having also taken victory there in 2020.
Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1, said:
“I’m delighted to see Portimão return to the Formula 1 calendar and for the sport to continue to ignite the passion of our incredible Portuguese fanbase.
“The circuit delivers on-track excitement from the first corner to the chequered flag, and its energy lifts fans out of their seats. The interest and demand to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix is the highest that it has ever been.”
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