Autódromo Internacional do Algarve
Encyclopedia
Portimão
Portimão is a Portuguese town located in the District of Faro in the Region of Algarve, the southern coast of Portugal. It was formerly known as Vila Nova de Portimão . In 1924, it was incorporated as a cidade and became known merely as Portimão. The town has 41,000 inhabitants and the Portimão...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. With a total cost of €195 million (approximately $250 million), the project includes a karting track, technology park, five-star hotel, sports complex and apartments.
Construction was finished in October 2008 and the circuit was homologated by both the FIM
Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme
The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme is the governing body of motorcycle racing. It represents 103 national motorcycle federations that are divided into six regional continental unions....
on 11 October 2008 and the FIA
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile is a non-profit association established as the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users...
two days later.
The circuit was designed by Ricardo Pina, Arquitectos. In October 2010 the teams agreed to add the Portimao Circuit to the Formula One testing roster along with Bahrain.
The circuit
The circuit hosted the final round of the World Superbike Championship on 2 November 2008. On 9 June, the track was confirmed to host a round of the 2008-09 A1 Grand Prix season2008-09 A1 Grand Prix season
The 2008–09 A1 Grand Prix season was the fourth and final season in its short history. It was announced that Ferrari will be supplying the engines. All cars and official merchandise are contractually obligated to portray the slogan "Powered by Ferrari"....
. The race was set for the weekend of 12 April 2009. On 10 October 2008, the Le Mans Series
Le Mans Series
The Le Mans Series is a European sports car racing endurance series based around the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and run by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest . The series was originally named the Le Mans Endurance Series, but changed its name prior to the 2006 season...
announced a 1000 km night race to be held at Algarve on 2 August 2009. On 5 November 2008, the FIA GT Championship
FIA GT Championship
The FIA GT Championship was a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation at the behest of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The championship was mostly concentrated in Europe, but throughout the years has visited other continents including Asia and South...
announced and 7th round of the 2009 season will be held at Algarve on 13 September 2009. A Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
test session, with the McLaren and Honda teams participating, was scheduled for 15–17 December 2008. Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....
has also ran at Algarve. Toyota also tested at the circuit on 20 January 2009 in the first outing of their new TF109
Toyota TF109
The Toyota TF109 was the Toyota Racing Formula One car for the 2009 Formula One season. It was revealed online on Toyota's website on 15 January 2009 and made its track debut on 18 January at the Autódromo Algarve. As far as performance went, the car was extraordinarily inconsistent...
chassis. The circuit will also host the final round of the 2009 GP2 Series season
2009 GP2 Series season
The 2009 GP2 Series season was the fifth GP2 Series season. The season consisted of twenty races at ten rounds, beginning on May 9 at the Circuit de Catalunya and finishing on September 20 at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve. The Algarve circuit hosted its first GP2 weekend, and was the only...
in September 2009. From 2010 it will host a round of the FIA World Touring Car Championship
World Touring Car Championship
For the video game, known as World Touring Car Championship in Japan, see TOCA World Touring CarsThe FIA World Touring Car Championship is an international Touring Car championship sanctioned by the FIA.-History:...
.
On April 4, 2009 Max Mosley
Max Mosley
Max Rufus Mosley is the former president of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile , a non-profit association that represents the interests of motoring organisations and car users worldwide...
stated that based on the quality of the circuit it could integrate the Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
championship under the guise of the Portuguese Grand Prix
Portuguese Grand Prix
The Portuguese Grand Prix was a motorsports event held for several years, mostly in the 1950s and then in the 1980s and 90s. It was a Formula One race between and and between and ....
, as long as a commercial agreement with the Formula One Management is achieved.
The circuit match old Nürburgring
Nürburgring
The Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about...
and Spa-Francorchamps because of its constantly undulating nature. A1 Team Portugal
A1 Team Portugal
A1 Team Portugal is the Portuguese team for A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :The A1 Team Portugal team owners were the well known football player, Luís Figo, and coach Carlos Queiroz...
's driver Filipe Albuquerque
Filipe Albuquerque
Filipe Miguel Delgadinho Albuquerque is a Portuguese race car driver, currently driving in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters.- Career :...
observed that there are big downhill slopes and right-hand turns after the main straight. He also commented that the track is good for overtaking because the circuit looks wide. A1 Team New Zealand
A1 Team New Zealand
A1 Team New Zealand is the New Zealand team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :The team was formed by and is owned by prominent Auckland businessman Colin Giltrap, well known for this car dealerships. The team is managed by Kiwi Bob McMurray who retired last year after...
's driver Earl Bamber
Earl Bamber
Earl Anderson Bamber is a motor racing driver and commentator from New Zealand.-Career:Bamber is a young rookie driver with a reputation for suffering from bouts of red mist but has demonstrated race driving talent when progressing through karts and minor single seater series, and in 2008 was...
observed that there are many special turns with personality. He commented that the new circuit is a little bit dangerous like the old school circuits with a roller coaster ride. A1 Team France
A1 Team France
A1 Team France is the French team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series. The team were the A1 Grand Prix champions for the inaugural season, 2005-06.- Management :A1 Team France's owner is Jean-Paul Driot...
's driver Nicolas Prost
Nicolas Prost
Nicolas Jean Prost is a French-Armenian racing driver currently racing for A1 Team France in the A1 Grand Prix series, and for ELK Motorsport in the Euroseries 3000, which he won in 2008.-Career:...
commented that the asphalt is new and the circuit has little grip.
It has been confirmed that one of the corners of the circuit was named after former World Supersport rider Craig Jones
Craig Jones (motorcycle racer)
Craig Jones was an English motorcycle racer. He grew up in the town of Northwich and attended Charles Darwin Primary School and later Hartford High School.-Biography:...
who was killed in a motorcycle crash at Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events...
in 2008.
Craig Jones memorial
On 2009, October 22, a tribute ceremony occurred, with the exhibition of a provisional statue, created by the Portuguese sculptress Paula Hespanha, representing Craig JonesCraig Jones (motorcycle racer)
Craig Jones was an English motorcycle racer. He grew up in the town of Northwich and attended Charles Darwin Primary School and later Hartford High School.-Biography:...
on his motorbike after passing the finishing line. This statue will be the main part of a monument
Monument
A monument is a type of structure either explicitly created to commemorate a person or important event or which has become important to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, or simply as an example of historic architecture...
, already partially built, which also includes the architectural arrangement of the main access roundabout to the racetrack, created by Paula Hespanha and Portuguese architect Manuel Pedro Ferreira Chaves.
This monument is a landscape
Landscape
Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land, including the physical elements of landforms such as mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land cover including indigenous vegetation, human elements including different forms of...
sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
, representing the main straight of a racing circuit, which extends up to the car park of the main grandstand. This large-scale artistic intervention serves to frame the statue but will also be useful as an access that will allow pedestrian approach to the statue.
The owner of Autódromo Internacional do Algarve
Autódromo Internacional do Algarve
The Autódromo Internacional do Algarve commonly referred to as Portimao Circuit is a race circuit located in Portimão, Portugal. With a total cost of €195 million , the project includes a karting track, technology park, five-star hotel, sports complex and apartments.Construction was finished in...
and Parkalgar racing team, Paulo Pinheiro, declared: "it is a very special thanks to Craig Jones who will be forever immortalized in our memories. This tribute will keep alive the admiration and respect for the work of Craig in the motorcycling world ". "This monument will ensure that Craig Jones will never be forgotten."
The inauguration of the marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
and stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
statue was expected to occur in 2010. If completed in 2011, this will be the only stone statue in the world representing a motorbike.
A1GP history
| Season | Date | Sprint Race Winning Driver | Sprint Race Winning Team | Feature Race Winning Driver | Feature Race Winning Team | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008–09 2008-09 A1 Grand Prix season The 2008–09 A1 Grand Prix season was the fourth and final season in its short history. It was announced that Ferrari will be supplying the engines. All cars and official merchandise are contractually obligated to portray the slogan "Powered by Ferrari".... |
12 April 2009 |  Netherlands Robert DoornbosRobert Doornbos Robert Michael Doornbos is a Dutch racing driver. He has been test and third driver for the Jordan and Red Bull Racing Formula One teams, as well as driving for Minardi and Red Bull Racing in 2005 and 2006. Doornbos then drove for Minardi Team USA in the 2007 and final season of the Champ Car... |
Netherlands Netherlands |
 Switzerland Neel JaniNeel Jani Neel Jani is a Swiss race car driver of Indian origin. He has achieved his greatest success driving for A1 Team Switzerland in A1 Grand Prix, helping them win the 2007-2008 title and finishing runner-up in 2005-06 and 2008-09. He has been also a GP2 Series race-winner and Formula One tester... |
Switzerland Switzerland A1 Team Switzerland A1 Team Switzerland is the Swiss team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series. The team were the A1 Grand Prix champions for the third season, 2007-08.-History:... |
Report |
See also
- 2008 Portimao Superbike World Championship round2008 Portimão Superbike World Championship roundThe 2008 Portimão Superbike World Championship round was the last round of the 2008 Superbike World Championship season. It took place on the weekend of October 31-November 2, 2008, at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve.-Superbike race 1 classification:...
– First competition on the circuit - 2008-09 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal
- 2009 1000 km of Algarve2009 1000 km of AlgarveThe 2009 1000 km of Algarve was the third round of the 2009 Le Mans Series season. It took place at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, Portugal, and was held over the night starting on 1 August 2009 and ending in the early morning of 2 August.-Qualifying result:Pole position winners in...
- 2009 Portuguese GP2 round
- 2010 Portimão Superleague Formula round2010 Portimão Superleague Formula roundThe 2010 Portimão Superleague Formula round was a Superleague Formula round held on September 19, 2010, at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve circuit, Portimão, Portugal. It was Superleague Formula's first visit to the circuit after visits in previous years to the country's Estoril circuit...
External links
- Circuit website
- 3D preview of the Craig Jones Memorial, partially built, in the main access of the Algarve Motor Park - YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzLHAW4rpBU
- “Craig Jones remembered with statue honor” in Algarve resident (30-Oct-2009) http://www.algarveresident.com/story.asp?ID=34597
- “Craig Jones memorial removed” in Algarve resident (05-Nov-2009) http://www.algarveresident.com/story.asp?ID=34713 ”Paula Hespanha expõe estátua de Craig Jones” in Jornal Hardmusica (Out. 2009) http://www.hardmusica.pt/noticia_detalhe.php?cd_noticia=3352 “Memorial Craig Jones em Portimão” in Atrox Mobilis – Motos e Mobilidade (22-Out-2009) (contains a 3D preview of the Craig Jones Memorial) http://rogermotard.wordpress.com/2009/10/22/memorial-craig-jones-em-portimao/