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Estoril Circuit | Portugal
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| Circuit Length: |
4.18km
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| Circuit Width: |
14m
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| Longest Straight: |
986m
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| Official Website: | |
| The Estoril racing circuit is not far from Lisbon, on the northern coast of the estuary of the River Tagus. It can be found in the hills behind the once-glamorous resort town of Estoril - which has grand hotels reminiscent of the French Riviera and a huge casino - and the small fishing port of Cascais. Built on a rocky plateau, the track was opened in June 1972 but its early development was handicapped by the oil crisis of 1973 and by the Portuguese Revolution of 1974. Situated on the Atlantic coast of Portugal, 28km from capital city Lisbon, the Estoril circuit was used as a MotoGP venue for the first time in 2000. Built in 1972 by Fernanda Pires da Silva the circuit was used mainly for European F2 races in the seventies and after major redevelopment in the early eighties it staged its first Formula 1 Grand Prix in 1984. One of the trickiest tracks on the GP calendar, Estoril combines long, constant radius corners with heavy braking zones, bumpy straights and a difficult chicane which was added to the back section in 1994. Its geographical position means that weather can be unpredictable, although its generally warm, dry nature makes it a regular choice for IRTA pre-season testing sessions. |
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