“We welcome the hosting of a Formula 1 Grand Prix, as for many Algarve hotels, the week of the race was the best ever, particularly for high-quality establishments,” stated Hélder Martins, president of AHETA, to the Lusa agency.
The Prime Minister announced on Thursday night in Quarteira that the Government has “everything ready to formalize the return” of the Formula 1 World Championship to the Algarve in 2027, after securing the 2025 and 2026 MotoGP Grand Prix at the Algarve International Circuit (AIA) in Portimão, which has continuously hosted the event since 2020.
Luís Montenegro highlighted that these motorsport events require some financial effort from the Government, “but they have a promotional return, both direct and indirect,” which, according to him, “is worthwhile.”
The president of the largest association of hotel owners in the Algarve remarked that events of this scale provide significant promotional opportunities for the region’s tourism and present healthy business possibilities.
According to Hélder Martins, the hoteliers are unaware of the details of the process, “except for what was conveyed by the Prime Minister” during his speech at the Festa do Pontal, an event marking the political re-entry of the PSD.
“I believe the process was finalized on Thursday, and the Prime Minister’s statement indicates that Formula 1 is secured for 2027,” he noted.
Contacted by Lusa, Miguel Praia, the commercial director of AIA, mentioned that “at the moment, it is not possible to add more information beyond the Prime Minister’s statement.”
“The AIA has always kept the channel open with Formula 1, a movement initiated by our Paulo Pinheiro [the founder of the Algarve circuit, who passed away in July 2024],” said Miguel Praia.
Lusa also sought a response from the Algarve Tourism Region regarding Luís Montenegro’s announcement, but this was not possible yet.
The Algarve circuit in Portimão hosted two Formula 1 World Championship races in 2020 and 2021, taking advantage of the restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in some countries, 24 years after the last race of the premier motorsport event held at the Estoril Autodrome in 1996.
Portugal has hosted the Formula 1 World Championship Grand Prix 18 times, initially at the Boavista urban circuit in Porto in 1958, moving next year to Monsanto in Lisbon, before returning to the calendar in 1984 at Estoril in Cascais, where it remained until 1996.
