Formula 1 officially returning to Portugal in 2027 and 2028

It’s now confirmed: Formula 1 is coming back to Portugal for the 2027 and 2028 seasons, with the Algarve International Circuit in Portimão set to rejoin the calendar under a two-year agreement.

The announcement ends months of speculation after Prime Minister Luís Montenegro said in August that the return was essentially “ready to be formalised”. On Tuesday, Economy Minister Manuel Castro de Almeida is expected to make the government’s official statement, putting the Algarve back in the global motorsport spotlight.

Why Portugal — and why now?

The timing isn’t accidental. F1’s calendar is packed, and European venues are increasingly being rotated or replaced to make space for new markets while keeping the total number of races manageable. In this case, Portugal’s return is linked to the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort leaving the calendar after 2026, creating a slot for 2027 and beyond.

According to reporting on the deal, the agreement involves the Portuguese government, Turismo de Portugal, and the local promoter Parkalgar, with Portimão’s circuit once again taking centre stage.

A track that proved itself during the pandemic

Portimão last hosted Formula 1 in 2020 and 2021, when the sport reshuffled its schedule due to Covid-19 travel restrictions. What began as a contingency plan quickly turned into a fan favourite: the rollercoaster layout, elevation changes, and sweeping corners made for dramatic racing and striking TV visuals.

Those races also reminded Portugal what a Grand Prix weekend can do for a region in the shoulder season: hotels fill up, restaurants run at full tilt, and the Algarve becomes a headline destination far beyond the summer beach crowd.

The Algarve impact: tourism, jobs, and the (inevitable) debate

For the Algarve, this is the kind of international event that cuts through the noise. A modern Grand Prix is not just a Sunday afternoon race — it’s a three-day festival that pulls in travelling fans, corporate hospitality, media crews, and sponsors.

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has spoken about the “growing demand” from countries and cities that want to host Grands Prix, and Portugal’s pitch appears to have landed at exactly the right moment.

Still, expect a familiar debate to return alongside the cars: public money, public value. Governments across Europe face scrutiny over hosting fees and infrastructure costs, and Portugal is no exception. Supporters argue that the event drives tourism and global visibility; critics question whether the numbers justify the investment and whether the benefits spread beyond a single region.

A long (and proud) Portuguese F1 story

Portugal isn’t new to Formula 1 — it’s returning to it.

The country has hosted races dating back to 1958, with F1 history passing through circuits like Porto and Monsanto, and later Estoril — remembered by many for Ayrton Senna’s first Grand Prix victory in 1985.

Portimão, though, represents a different Portugal: newer infrastructure, a tourism powerhouse region, and a circuit built for modern international motorsport.

What we don’t know yet (but will matter to residents)

The headline is clear — 2027 and 2028 are in the diary — but several practical details haven’t been fully spelled out in early reporting:

• Exact race dates (important for travel and accommodation planning)
• Ticketing timelines and pricing
• Transport and traffic management for the region
• Local mitigation plans for noise, policing, and peak-weekend pressure

If you live in the Algarve — or own a rental property there — those are the details that will shape the real-world impact of an F1 return.

The bottom line

For Portugal, this is a prestige win and a major tourism play. For Portimão, it’s a chance to become more than a “pandemic substitute” and reclaim a permanent place in the F1 conversation — at least for two seasons.

And for fans? Two more years of F1 cars cresting Portimão’s hills under Atlantic skies.

If you want, I can adapt this into a tighter 400–500 word “news brief” version (or a longer feature with a quote-led intro and more Algarve colour), still in that Portugal Post tone.