Portuguese Grand Prix Set To Fill Vacant Calendar Slot

There is a major possibility that Formula 1 will replace the TBC spot with the Portuguese Grand Prix on the 2021 F1 calendar. There are a record-breaking 23 races on this year’s calendar, but there was one open slot. This open slot was for Round 3 of the 2021 F1 Season. The GP weekend would be from the 30th of April to the race on the 2nd of May. Visit our guide to Formula 1 to see the full 2021 Formula 1 Calendar.

In the F1 Commission meeting on the 11th of February, the F1 Commission discussed several things. This calendar change was part of their discussions. For those of you who don’t know, the F1 Commission is a board of officials. They have the authority to make changes to all of the Formula 1 regulations. In the meeting on Thursday, Formula 1 expressed their intention to fill the gap with the Portuguese Grand Prix in this meeting. After the meeting, the F1 Commission released a statement, which included information about the TBC slot on the calendar.

“The group was updated on the ‘TBC’ space on the current version of the 2021 calendar. It is the intention of Formula 1 to fill the position with a race at Portimao in Portugal on the dates already held in the calendar. The final agreement is still subject to contract with the promoter,” said the statement.

The statement continued, saying: “Robust COVID-19 protocols enabled Formula 1 to run 17 events in 2020 and will enable us to run a World Championship again in 2021.

“While changing circumstances may require flexibility, the FIA and Formula 1 are working at all levels from the government to local organisation to ensure that the calendar goes ahead as planned.”

If all goes well, the only thing stopping this race from happening would be if the FIA World Motor Sport Council doesn’t approve of the decision. I think this would be very unlikely, but in Formula 1, anything can happen.

Why The Portuguese Grand Prix is Exactly What We Need

In 2020, for the first time in 24 years, Portugal hosted a Formula 1 Grand Prix. The COVID-19 pandemic saw major changes to the F1 calendar since many countries were in no shape to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix. So F1 turned to a range of countries and circuits. All of these places had either never hosted an F1 race before, or had hosted one, but not recently. One of the countries that F1 decided to race in was Portugal. The Algarve International Circuit was an incredible circuit, and the COVID-19 cases in Portugal were incredibly low at the time. Going to Portimao turned out to be as expected; a perfect decision.

First and foremost, Lewis Hamilton claimed his record-breaking 92nd win at the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix. Second of all, the unpredictable weather saw drivers like Carlos Sainz and Kimi Raikkonen take the spotlight for some time. And last of all, the circuit. Oh. My. God. The Algarve International Circuit, a circuit that had surprisingly never hosted an F1 race before, stunned the F1 world.

Since this circuit is located in the hills of Portimao, the track has CRAZY elevation change. This video above shows the fastest lap completed in the race in 2020. This lap shows that in almost every corner, there is some sort of elevation change. Most of the corners had major elevation changes, which absolutely stunned drivers and fans alike. The drivers described the track as a roller coaster ride, which was a perfectly suitable description.

The 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix proved to be a fantastic race, and I’m sure that you guys are as anxious as I am to find out whether there will be a 2021 Portuguese Grand Prix or not. Stay safe, and stay on the lookout for new posts!