Portimao to host MotoGP on November 22

The FIM, IRTA and Dorna Sports recently announced the addition of a fifteenth Grand Prix to the 2020 FIM MotoGP World Championship calendar, with the event set to take place from the 20th to the 22nd of November and become the season finale.

The venue for the event has been revealed overnight as the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão, Portugal. The reserve track for MotoGP since 2017, this brilliant circuit will now make its debut on the calendar.

I would hazard a guess that there are riders on the MotoGP grid that have never turned a lap at Portimao on any motorcycle, let alone a MotoGP bike, thus it could provide a very interesting dynamic for the season finale if the championship goes down to the wire this season.

The circuit is technical and very challenging but also truly spectacular and a real ‘riders’ track that as far as the riding experience goes has few equals in the world.

FIM President Jorge Viegas

“I am very proud that MotoGP will return to my country eight years after the last Grand Prix, which took place at the Circuito do Estoril in May 2012. I would like to warmly thank Dorna, the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve and the Motorcycling Federation of Portugal for having managed to meet the necessary conditions for the organisation of the finale of the 2020 FIM Grand Prix World Championship to take place in Portugal.”

The Autodromo Internacional do Algarve is truly unique, with its characteristic elevation changes and undulating layout earning it a reputation as a high-speed rollercoaster – a thrill ride for fans and competitors alike.

Autodromo Internacional do Algarve CEO Paulo Pinheiro

“It is a great achievement for our team to finally have MotoGP at our racetrack! MotoGP is the pinnacle of two-wheeled motorsport, and we are so excited to have it. It has been a long process with Dorna, we had an agreement in place since 2017, and finally all the hard work paid off. On top of this to have Miguel Oliveira on the MotoGP grid, being able to fight for the podium will be an amazing add on for this race, and hopefully the Championship will be decided here. We are working to have the fans in our race, and we will start with a capacity of 30,000 fans for the race weekend and then we will decide with Dorna and the sanitary authorities the following stages. We can’t express how happy we are to have this race.”

The track will now welcome MotoGP back to Portugal for the first time since 2012, and the event will see Portuguese rider Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) racing on home turf in the premier class for the first time.

Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta

“It’s big news for us, we signed an agreement in 2017 with Portimao to be the reserve circuit for any kinds of cancellations, and we’ve been in contact with them all this time. We’ve been to Portimão with Superbike and we think it’s an amazing possibility for us, and also in the agreement is that the track will be resurfaced after the Superbike round. When we explained this to the riders they were excited because they’ve seen the track on TV, but we’ve never been there. Portugal has a long history in our sport and there have been some historic battles in Estoril. It’s something very good for us to have the possibility to go back to Portugal, especially with Miguel Oliveira participating as it’s great to have a Portuguese rider able to compete in his own country. We are extremely happy to be racing in Portimão at the end of the year.”

Updated 2020 MotoGp Calendar

Source: MCNews.com.au