Autódromo
Internacional do Algarve
This
is the first of two features on the new Circuit
do Algarve near Portimão, southern
Portugal, written originally for Dailysportscar
by Marcus Potts, and now reproduced here as part
of our preview of Round 3 of the 2009 Le Mans
Series. The race, scheduled for the evening of
August 1st, will be the first "night race"
in the history of the LMS, and a worthy milestone
as the event makes its debut at this exciting
new circuit.
Part
1: Background to the Circuit
 Generations
of Europeans have viewed the Algarve as an idyllic
holiday resort – mile upon mile of sandy
beaches, azure blue seas and year-round sunshine.
Just the word itself, “Algarve”, seems
to conjure up an image of a bronzed body draped
languidly across a sun-lounger, refreshing drink
close to hand, while the sound of waves gently
ripple against the side of a glossy hull. It’s
the image of perfect lethargy, but in recent decades
the southern tip of Portugal has also earned a
reputation as a golfer’s paradise. Hundreds
of pro-standard courses take advantage of the
climate and the terrain to attract visitors in
winter as well as summer, but even that’s
hardly the epitome of fast-paced excitement.
So
what prompts the Portuguese authorities to spend
nearly 200 million euros on a state-of-the-art
motor racing circuit? The fact that it’s
thirteen years since the last Portuguese Grand
Prix may have something to do with it. Ayrton
Senna and Roland Ratzenberger lost their lives
at Imola in 1994, and with their passing a change
of emphasis swept across Formula 1, and many of
the historic circuits came under the close scrutiny
of the FIA. One such was the 4.3 kilometre track
at Estoril, just outside Lisbon, which had hosted
the national Grand Prix since the 1950s. It was
ultimately deemed to be outdated, unsafe and,
despite the introduction of extra chicanes, too
fast. The last Portuguese Grand Prix was won my
Jacques Villeneuve in September 1996, and since
then the Portuguese – always keen followers
of motor racing – have had to travel across
Iberia to see F1 at first hand.
In
a stark contrast to the situation in the UK, the
Portuguese government clearly sees motorsport
as being a positive weapon in the national economy,
and persuading F1 to return to Portugal –
sooner rather than later – is obviously
high on the list of priorities. The Deputy Sports
Minister Laurentino Dias (left) is quoted
as saying "The Government will do its best
for Portugal to become part of the world's main
championships," and qualified this by adding:
"This [Algarve] circuit is prepared to host
a range of motor races, from the most modest to
Formula One."
Circuit
director Paulo Pinheiro – the man behind
Parkalgar (right), the company responsible
for bringing this track to the world – certainly
believes that Formula 1 will come to the Algarve,
although accepts that it may be a few years before
it actually happens, and the track will have to
prove itself first. “It’s a unique
racetrack,” he says. “It’s very
challenging, with big slopes and blind corners,
and at the same time, very safe. For the public,
they will be very close to the track, and also
will have a very wide view, being able to view
about 80% of the racetrack from all the stands.”
He’s also confident that the location will
play its part. “This is a special tourist
destination that will make everyone feel great
about coming and racing here.”
Parkalgar
thinks big. The whole complex covers more than
300 hectares, and as well as the circuit itself,
with a capacity for at least 100,000 spectators,
there are plans for a major tourist complex with
a five-star hotel, 160 luxury apartments, a spa,
tennis courts, football stadium, riding arena
and a conference centre. In the longer term, there
will also be a multi-discipline sports complex
and a technology park, bringing industry and jobs
to a region that now, needs it desperately.
Construction
amid the hills of Monchique, half an hour’s
drive north of Portimão, began at the start
of 2008, and in an impressive turn of speed, was
completed in time for homologation by the FIA
and FIM in early October, with the first events
taking place four weeks later, including the final
round of the Spanish GT Championship.
The
associated karting track, reputedly offering 112
different layout configurations, is now nearing
completion, and the first hotel (for the Radisson
chain) is expected to be operational by the time
the Le Mans Series arrives in August. The technology
park will follow shortly afterwards. The numbers
are mind-boggling – and not just the financial
investment. What would Silverstone not give for
£175 million! Although (as we’ll see)
the circuit makes the most of the natural contours
of the land, a further 5 million cubic metres
of earth were moved during the building of the
track, which required the laying of 350,000 square
metres of tarmac and the installation of 260 kilometres
of cabling.
Perhaps
a little optimistically, the local tourist office
anticipates an extra one million visitors will
be attracted to the Algarve by the presence of
the circuit, although it would certainly take
a Grand Prix to get anywhere close to that figure.
What they’ll find when they get there, however,
is one of the finest circuits anywhere in the
world, and some of the best facilities too. The
track is built into a natural amphitheatre that
offers unrivalled viewing, especially as nearly
every inch is swathed in staged seating. The main
grandstand is vast, and with a capacity greater
even than the pit-top tribunes at Le Mans, while
a central VIP tower offers a further 15,000 seats
with associated hospitality suites and catering.
It’s very impressive.
Once
through the access tunnel to the centre, competitors
are unlikely to be disappointed either. It’s
hard to get a sense of scale when the paddock
is empty, but it seems vast. On the other hand
the garages are pretty typical, and evidently
constructed to rigid F1 specifications, so teams
at work will be hard pressed to determine whether
they’re in Portugal, Turkey, Spa or, let’s
be honest, Silverstone. Finding key features won’t
be a challenge either – Race Control and
Media Centre are all where you’d expect
them to be, although the sight of a swimming pool
nestling between the two is something of a novelty.
Don’t get too excited though . . . it’s
only about a metre deep, and we somehow doubt
that swimming will be encouraged! We weren’t
able to get a definitive answer out of anyone
last week, but we think it’s mainly there
to act as a water reservoir in the event of emergency
in an area where summers can be very dry and arid.
Thankfully,
and unlike some newly-built facilities elsewhere,
the Media Centre does offer views of the track,
although not the main straight, pitlane or start,
and is situated directly above the circuit restaurant,
so a plus-point there! Elsewhere around the circuit,
there’s no denying that work still remains
to be done, and access to certain areas is not
good. Professional photographers in particular
will be disappointed at the lack of consideration
for their needs, with poor access to the outside
perimeter track, in particular, and no apertures
as yet cut into the extensive catch fencing. Hopefully
some of these issues will be addressed by the
time the circuit becomes a regular venue for international
events.
How
soon that calendar will include the desirable
F1 billing remains to be seen, but competition
is fierce. The circuit we mentioned at the start
of this piece; Imola, has recently introduced
a £7 million refurbishment programme, but
there seems little hope yet of a return of the
San Marino Grand Prix, so what chances a Portuguese
GP at a brand new circuit? Perhaps better than
Imola, in truth, but don’t hold your breath.
In
the meantime other formula will be keen to try
out such a tempting venue. The A1 GP will arrive
in the Algarve in April, and the Le Mans Series
will make the most of the circuit’s layout
and facilities to run its first ever night race
in August. By then, there’s no doubt that
a good many drivers will have invested in a visit
to the Algarve and learned as much as they can
about the new track, and they won’t be disappointed
. . .
With
thanks to the circuit for many of the images illustrating
this article. For more information about the Autodromo
do Algarve, visit the official
website.
Part
2, in which we consider the track layout itself
from a driver’s perspective, can be viewed
here.
©
All text is copyright Marcus Potts, CMC.
Images are copyright Marcus Potts, CMC and
the Autodromo do Algarve. See Alt (hover)
text for captions and credits
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