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F1 LIVE in Portugal: Can Bottas top FP1 for the seventh consecutive time?

23 October 2020 at 10:30

Matt Gretton
Editor-in-Chief

The Portuguese Grand Prix is back on the Formula 1 calendar after a 24-year absence. It took some doing because Portimao is only there as a temporary replacement in a reshuffled calendar as a result of the coronvirus pandemic. Here you can follow the very first free practice at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve.

LIVEBLOG: FP1 ahead of the Portuguese Grand Prix

The Portuguese Grand Prix isn't new in Formula 1. Between 1984 and 1996 F1 also drove races in Southern Europe but then the races were held at Estoril. The last winner there was Canadian Jacques Villeneuve, who can now mainly be heard as an analyst in various media before and after the races.

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This weekend we are racing for the first time at Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, better known as Portimao! This is the layout of the circuit â€‹ â€‹#f1 #formulaone #formula1 #formule1 #f12020 #f1racing #racing #motorsport #autosport #portimao #portugalgp #portugal #portuguesegp #algarve #algarvecircuit #autodromointernacionaldoalgarve #f1circuit #f1track #f1gp #f1grandprix #grandprix #f1stats #f1trackmap #trackmap
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F1 back in Portugal

In Portugal, we find a circuit with a lot of turns, gravel traps and height differences. This is again a real driver's circuit, where drivers like Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton can make the difference. Will that also be the case this weekend?

The first free practice in Portimao will mainly be about exploring the track. The drivers will know the track from the simulator, but that is never as good as reality. The teams and drivers will have to work hard to find the right setup here, because they hardly have any data prior to this weekend.

Valtteri Bottas has topped the last six FP1 sessions. The Finnish driver also topped the first practice session last time out at the Nürburgring, but this was officially FP3 after Friday running was cancelled due to rain.