© @sou_drawsCircuit Scout: PortimãoLooking at the Portuguese track through the eyes of an F1 driver.
Portimãoisoneofthenewercircuitsonthe2021FormulaOnecalendar,andwemean‘new’intwosensesoftheword.Thisyearwillonlybeitssecondappearanceanditwasonlybuiltin2008.
The track’s full name is the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve and in 2021 will be the third race of the season. It has 15 turns, a circuit length of 4.65km and there will be 66 laps raced, giving a total race distance of 306.826km.
But as always, we want to give you more insight into the Portuguese circuit than just numbers, so we sat down with Red Bull Racing Honda’s Test and Reserve Driver Alex Albon, to point out not only where the race can be won or lost, but also where the most fun will be had on the circuit and the most crucial corners.
Alex Illustrates Portimão© @sou_draws
AutodromoInternacionaldoAlgarve
The first thing Alex remembered about driving in Portugal in 2020 was the condition of the surface. “It felt like we were driving on ice. There was no grip and, like in Turkey, there was oil seeping up onto the track,” he explained. “But because the track is a year older, I think it’ll be much better this season. It’s a cool track and I think all the drivers will agree it’s one of the most undulating tracks we go to on the calendar.”
Alex believes this is potentially the most critical turn on the track. “Portimão is not an easy track to overtake on, there’s only one place you can really do it and that’s turn one. It’s a quick corner so you need to be past the other driver by the time you arrive there,” said Alex. But he also pointed out, it’s where rules are strictly enforced. “ I had a few track limits in my time through there. It’s one of those corners that is so fast, you win so much time if you use 30cm more of the track, but you have to be careful not to go too far.”
Heading Down Into Turn One© Getty Images
Alex mentioned the undulation earlier and this is where it really shows. “At turn eight, the rise in altitude is so great you think you’re going to take off. You’re just staring at the sky the whole time and can’t see anything. It’s a really quick corner and it’s so bumpy that you’re expecting that you’ll start flying.”
Shortly after feeling like your about to take off, you enter Alex’s next favourite section of the track. “Turns 10 and 11 are so surreal,” he said. “The line is to be as wide as you can through turn 10 so you’re in a good position for turn 11. But because you can’t see anything when you’re doing that, it’s really hard to get the line through there. It’s similar to turn eight, you’re just looking up at the sky and it’s all about getting the timing and rhythm right, it’s like a rollercoaster. Then as you come round the corner there is a huge drop off, which is a lot of fun – I like it.”
The final turn before the start/finish straight is a corner which is not only a lot of fun but demands to be taken seriously at the same time. “Turn 15 is tough on the neck,” said Alex. “To be fair, the entire track is quite physical, you feel like you’ve done a proper workout when you get out of the car,” he said. “So, you go through turn 15 and your head is basically stuck on the headrest, it’s an easy flat-out corner. If you spot that the onboard cameras are on, you lift your head away from it, so you don’t standout on the tv, but if the cameras are off you drop your head.”
Alex’s last word on the Portimão track is his score: “I’d give it a 7/10, which is good. I rate tracks quite harshly, so that’s a good score,” he concluded.
Alex On Track In Portimão© Getty Images
