The 2020 Formula 1 season takes the sport to another new track this weekend: Portimao, or the Algarve International Circuit. Set in the south of Portugal, Portimao is located near a seaport which is its namesake. The Portimao circuit is said to have several characteristics in terms of layout and elevation changes that are similar to COTA . The region was also where Ayrton Senna chose to make his European home.
Red Bull will be approaching the weekend with optimism as recent upgrades have brought their package much closer to Mercedes, especially in terms of race pace. Look for Red Bull to have a shot at the win here, either way a podium is a safe bet. We can expect what has come to be the norm for AlphaTauri which is to have one car finish in the points and the other finish just outside the points.
Elsewhere on the grid, Mercedes is still the team to beat but the unknown factor and lack of data for Portimao could help level the playing field. We can expect the next battle to be between a McLaren and a Renault, look for the latter to mount a serious challenge. Ferrari are set to bring more upgrades this weekend which should help them build on their finish in Germany. Following very closely will be a Racing Point looking to capitalize on any error from the cars in front. As we begin to move out of the points-paying positions we can expect to see team cars from the other midfield runners and the usual battle between Haas and Alfa Romeo. Williams will be toward the back although in recent races they have challenged the Ferrari-powered cars in front of them.
US TV SCHEDULE
Practice 1 – Friday, October 23 – 5.55AM – ESPN2
Practice 2 – Friday, October 23 – 9.55AM – ESPN2
Practice 3 – Saturday, October 24 – 5.55AM –
ESPN
Qualifying – Saturday, October 24 – 8.55AM – ESPN2
Grand Prix Sunday – Sunday, October 25 – 7.30AM – ESPN2
Race – Sunday, October 25 – 9.05AM – ESPN2
CIRCUIT INFO
Direction: Clockwise
Turns: 15
Race laps: 66
Lap Distance: 4.653km (2.891 mi)
Race Distance: 307.098km
Longest Straight: 969m
Top Speed: 328kph
Average Speed: TBDkph
Lap Record:
TBD
Full throttle: 52.5%
Downforce Level: High
Cooling Requirement: Medium
Typical Strategy: 1 Stop Race
Pitlane Length: TBCm
Tyres: Hard (C1), Medium (C2), Soft (C3)
CURRENT STANDINGS
Drivers
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 230
2. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 161
3. Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 147
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Renault, 78
5. Sergio Perez, Racing Point, 68
6. Lando Norris, McLaren, 65
7. Alex Albon, Red Bull, 64
8. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 63
9. Lance Stroll, Racing Point, 57
10. Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri, 53
11. Carlos Sainz, McLaren, 51
12. Esteban Ocon, Renault, 36
13. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, 17
14. Daniil Kvyat, AlphaTauri, 14
15. Nico Hulkenberg, Racing Point, 10
16. Antonio Giovinazzi, Alfa Romeo, 3
17. Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo, 2
18. Romain Grosjean, Haas, 2
19. Nicholas Latifi, Williams, 0
20. Kevin Magnussen, Haas, 1
21. George Russell, Williams, 0
Constructors
1. Mercedes, 391
2. Red Bull, 211
3. Racing Point, 120
4. McLaren, 116
5. Renault, 114
6. Ferrari, 80
7. AlphaTauri, 67
8. Alfa Romeo, 5
9. Haas, 3
10. Williams, 0
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