Preview | Who will be involved in the fight between Verstappen and Hamilton?

This time the teams and drivers had two weeks to recover from the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. This weekend the Portuguese Grand Prix is on the agenda with the Spanish Grand Prix following immediately. The races follow each other in quick succession. Who is the favourite for the GP in Portimao?

Autódromo Internacional do Algarve

The circuit in Portimao, the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, was used for the first time in 2020 for a Formula 1 and MotoGP race. The circuit had been used before for other race series, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, the circuit located in the Algarve, also came on the radar of Formula 1.

The circuit is a unique example with nice corners, height differences and outside the track grass or gravel so mistakes are punished immediately. With fifteen corners, there are plenty of overtaking opportunities on the 4.653 km circuit. There was plenty of overtaking in 2020, just not for victory.

Portuguese Grand Prix 2020

The 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix looked set to be spectacular with slippery conditions in the first few laps. Due to the new asphalt, the drivers struggled to find grip on their cold tyres, and we saw some surprises. Carlos Sainz was suddenly in front, and Max Verstappen tapped his current teammate, Sergio Perez, in a moment of understeer.

However, after a few laps the tyres were up to temperature and order was restored. Lewis Hamilton handled his tyres better than teammate Valtteri Bottas, and managed to overtake him halfway through the race. Max Verstappen drove fairly solitary to third place. The battles in the midfield were fun, and that might bode well for 2021.

Formula 1 2021

While the field at the front was just too far apart in 2020, in 2021 it proved that Mercedes and Red Bull Racing are very close. In Bahrain, Max Verstappen took pole, but in Imola, that pole was for Lewis Hamilton. However, the race results in both races were the other way around. So it's very close, so the strategy and form of the day will be decisive.

Weather forecast

Where it seemed last week that the whole weekend would be wet, a few days before the start of the weekend it appears that the rain might not fall after all. According to Weather.com it will be between 20 and 21 degrees during the day, and only on Friday the chance of rain will be higher than ten percent (17). A dry weekend in the Algarve.

Prediction for the Portuguese GP

Making a prediction in 2021 is a lot harder than in 2020. Mercedes and Red Bull are very close, so it's hard to predict who will be the strongest here. In Bahrain and also in Imola, the RB16B, especially in the hands of Verstappen, proved to be faster than the Mercedes W12 in the corners. The car is just that little bit faster, and also on the straights, the team is gaining ground.

It is very close though, as evidenced by Lewis Hamilton's pole in Imola after small mistakes by Verstappen and Sergio Perez. Normally, you would expect Verstappen to be the fastest in qualifying at the twisty Portimao. After his miss in Imola, he has something to prove, as he won't want to lose to his teammate twice in a row.

In the race however it is a different story. In Imola the RB16B proved to be much worse on the tyres. In Portimao this weekend it is fortunately not very hot, but if Hamilton's tyres last longer during the race then there are plenty of opportunities to catch up. So it will be exciting to see who takes the win here.

Timetable Portuguese Grand Prix

Friday

First free practice: 11:30 - 12:30

Second free practice: 15:00 - 16:00

Saturday

Third free practice: 12:00 - 13:00

Qualifying: 15:00 - 16:00

Sunday

Race: 15:00 - 17:00