Portugal> Sport events

Moto Grand Prix

We have finally entered the season of Moto GP or Grand Prix motorcycle racing 2006. It began in Jerez, Spain and continued with the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar, an Arab emirate, which took place on April 3 this year. After this heart-stopping event we can look forward to the Portuguese Moto GP in Estoril. This motorcycle racing tournament is a major sports event in Portugal. The preseason was packed with new and improved motorcycles, broken circuit records and team changes. Leading broadcasters reported that almost 7 million viewers in Italy watched and enjoyed the championship in Jerez. The audience share in Spain was 44.20%. Highlights were Dani Pedrosa's debut, the home victories of Jorge Lorenzo and Álvaro Bautista in 250 cc and 125 cc and the downfall of World Champion Valentino Rossi at the very first turn. The audience at the track itself reached 131 162. The GP at Qatar at Losail circuit was another thriller in intense heat.

The Portuguese Grand Prix takes place on the fast, twisting Autodromo do Estoril track. This track is a favorite of most pro-riders. This is a great event to visit, with enthusiastic locals making a great deal of noise. The event has been really exciting since 1951, the year it was inaugurated.

At the beginning the Portuguese Grand Prix was a sports car racing championship, which took place in Oporto on the Boavista street track. It was relocated to Monsanto Park in 1954. The first Formula One championship toook place in 1958 in Oporto. The next year there was a Grand Prix at Monsanto Park in Lisbon, and the year after that - again in Oporto. Then the tradition ended. The name was used for a Formula 3 and sports car racing event in Cascais street track from 1964 to 1966.

In 1972 the Autodromo do Estoril was inaugurated. This event was the forbearer of the resurrection of the Portuguese Grand Prix. In the 70s the Estoril Grand Prix was held as a Formula 2 event. Portugal reinstated the F1 calendar in 1984. This year Alain Prost won the race but lost the championship by just half a point. The GP took place on April 21 in 1985 in very poor weather conditions. Ayrton Senna won his first race that year. The race was held in September after 1986. Later this became its traditional date.

After the tragic demises of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna in 1994, the Estoril circuit was reconstructed. A new chicane replaced the tank curve. At the time the circuit was considered dangerous and outdated. The last Portuguese Moto GP took place in 1996. After that it ended for almost a decade. In October 2005 the Estoril circuit hosted the third round of a novel race, the A1 GP. The French team won both races in the event. The winner of the 1996 Portuguese GP was Jacques Villeneuve. The 1995 winner was David Coulthard, 1994 - Damon Hill, 1993 - Michael Schumacher, and 1992 - Nigel Mansell.