A surprising race returns to the F1 series – Kimi Räikkönen did something extraordinary on the track

Valtteri Bottas led the 2021 Portimao race after the start. PDO

The Formula 1 series returns to a surprising race location at the end of the decade.

The Portuguese GP will return to the World Series calendar for the 2027 and 2028 seasons, when the Zandvoort race will be removed from the program after the 2026 season. In practice, the Portimão circuit takes the place of the Dutch race in the F1 race calendar.

The modern motor track located in the Algarve region was last seen in the royal class in the years 2020 and 2021, troubled by the corona pandemic, when F1 had to rebuild its race calendar at short notice.

The Portuguese GP was run for the first time in Portimão in the fall of 2020. It was also the first F1 race in the whole country in 24 years, as the previous time the series visited Portugal at the Estoril track in 1984–1996.

Portimão’s debut received a lot of praise from the drivers, but the track fell off the calendar again after the 2021 season, when the exceptional arrangements for the pandemic ended.

An incredible pass

For Finns, Portimão evokes strong memories, both good and bad.

Driving an Alfa Romeo in the 2020 race Kimi Raikkonen made global headlines by completing one of the most talked about opening rounds in recent history.

Starting from grid 16, Räikkönen overtook several drivers during the first lap and rose to sixth when starting the second lap.

– An amazing start from Räikkösen, the F1 series was glowing on social media at the time.

Although Räikkönen lost positions during the race and ended up just outside the points in 11th place, his opening round survived.

A year later, Portimão also offered the Finn a darker moment. The 2021 Portuguese GP ended for Räikkönen already in the opening round, when he drove his Alfa Romeo teammate by Antonio Giovinazzi after the car and finally had to stop.

The 2020 and 2021 races were won by the one driving a Mercedes at that time Lewis Hamilton.