PORTIMÃO TO REMAIN ON THE MOTOGP CALENDAR THROUGH 2029

MotoGP will remain at Portugal’s Algarve International Circuit in Portimão through at least 2029, following a three-year contract extension announced on 24 September. The new deal secures the Portuguese Grand Prix’s place on the schedule, although its date for 2027 has not yet been confirmed. The calendar is due to be announced on 25 September; Valencia has already been confirmed as the season finale.

Portimão returned to MotoGP in 2020, marking the championship’s first visit to Portugal since 2012. It hosted two races in 2021 and secured a longer-term place on the calendar from 2023. The event has since drawn growing crowds and international attention: last year’s Grand Prix attracted more than 166,000 fans over the weekend, a record attendance for MotoGP at the circuit.

The track is 4.592 kilometres long, with 15 corners and a 969-metre start-finish straight. Its steep rises and drops—including a maximum gradient of 6.2 per cent uphill and 12 per cent downhill—have earned it the nickname “the Rollercoaster.” Francesco Bagnaia is Portimão’s most successful rider, with victories in 2021 and 2023; Marco Bezzecchi won the 2025 Grand Prix.

The circuit has occupied different positions in the calendar: it opened the 2023 campaign and served as the first European round in 2022 and 2024. Algarve Tourism president Andre Gomes said the race would continue to take place outside the region’s peak tourism season, suggesting it will again fall near the beginning or end of the schedule.

Gomes welcomed the renewal as a boost for the region, pointing to the event’s international reach, visitor numbers and business benefits. He said holding the Grand Prix outside the busiest tourism period helps the Algarve develop as a destination throughout the year and strengthen its standing among international visitors.

MotoGP deputy CEO Carlos Ezpeleta said the circuit had added a new dimension to the championship since joining the calendar. Its challenging layout, he noted, has delivered memorable racing and made Portimão popular with riders and fans. MotoGP intends to build on that success and make the event an even bigger celebration for fans in Portugal.

Algarve International Circuit CEO Jaime Costa described the extension as a vote of confidence in the work of the circuit and the organisations involved in staging the race. He said the agreement would reinforce Portugal and the Algarve’s place among major global sporting-event destinations, while recognising the quality of the venue and its events.

The 2026 Portuguese Grand Prix is scheduled for 20–22 November and will be the penultimate round of the season, ahead of the Valencia finale one week later. The date and position of the 2027 race remain unknown until the complete calendar is released.