Portugal GP to return?

The new Toyota F1 car tests at the new Algarve circuit in Portugal under ominous skies recently

Bernie Ecclestone is showing interest in getting the Portuguese Grand Prix back in the Formula One calendar, now that the country has a new, state-of-the-art circuit in Algarve. For 13 years, between 1984 and 1996 the Portuguese Grand Prix was a very popular venue for teams and drivers, with the Estoril circuit holding the race and becoming a favorite test track during the winter season. But the facilities were never properly upgraded and, in the end, Ecclestone pulled the plug on the deal, cancelling the 1997 Grand Prix and replacing it with the European Grand Prix in Jerez de la Frontera, in Spain, where Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve famously clashed in the World Championship decider.

The new circuit in Algarve is already built and fully functional, having held two F1 tests since it was opened in December, and has been highly regarded by the teams and drivers. The circuit is 50km from an international airport with direct motorway access, and has more than one thousand hotels and resorts in the region. There is also the fact that the weather in the region allows Ecclestone to hold a race as early as in April or as late as in October without much risk of being caught by rain or cold.

Ecclestone had planning to visit the track during the last test but the bad weather scrubbed this. Ecclestone had his people inspect the facilities and the surrounding area. According to sources close to Ecclestone, he might be looking to hold a Grand Prix in Algarve as soon as 2010, making it the last European race of the season, in the second half of September. Grandprix.com