Discussion
Welcome to Portugal for the second round of the 2023 WEC championship!
This ‘Spotter Guide’ is for the 6-hour race which is taking place at the popular Autódromo do Algarve.
All the pictures shown below are lower resolution screengrabs. If you want a better quality for printing, I also include a Dropbox link to a PDF file with higher resolution.
PDF LINK:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/iimnnyu65b19nwt/portimao...
Hypercars built to the LMDh regulations (Porsche and Cadillac) have a red frame around the car picture.
This ‘Spotter Guide’ is for the 6-hour race which is taking place at the popular Autódromo do Algarve.
All the pictures shown below are lower resolution screengrabs. If you want a better quality for printing, I also include a Dropbox link to a PDF file with higher resolution.
PDF LINK:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/iimnnyu65b19nwt/portimao...
Hypercars built to the LMDh regulations (Porsche and Cadillac) have a red frame around the car picture.
With the ACO taking the "Screw the fans, just milk every corporate schilling we can!" approach to Le Mans 2023 I'd decided this would be the first Le Mans I missed through choice in 20 years so had a little weekend in Portugal instead - and I can see my self going back in 2024!
- Race tickets with main straight grandstand access were only €35 (plus 6% tax) and you could go cheaper with just outer circuit access or more expensive with central tower stand access. Given it was clear blue skys and 25C I'm glad I had the shade of the main grandstand but not sure i missed anything not having the tower.
- Car parking literally backs on to the main grandstand, no Silverstone parking in a field half a mile away here!
- Food and drink on site were limited and basic but only the one nearest the main grandstand entrance had a queue, the one outside/the 2 others further along the main grandstand had a couple of people tops.
- I went out Sat./back Mon. and hire car was just €60.
In fact the only real negative was the feeling of regret at the end of the race. Regrest that by far the best of the action was in LMP2 and GTE, the 2 classes we're going to be saying good bye to at the end of the season! And I've still to see anything on track to justify the Hypercar hype, with only duff FIA parts preventing another (deserved) Toyota 1+2 and little real racing between the LMPH also rans. The only positive is that Cadillac engine noise which IRL is up there with the old V8 Corvettes. Outside that it's hard not to see them as slower, pale imitations of the LMP1 beasts we had a few years ago.
- Race tickets with main straight grandstand access were only €35 (plus 6% tax) and you could go cheaper with just outer circuit access or more expensive with central tower stand access. Given it was clear blue skys and 25C I'm glad I had the shade of the main grandstand but not sure i missed anything not having the tower.
- Car parking literally backs on to the main grandstand, no Silverstone parking in a field half a mile away here!
- Food and drink on site were limited and basic but only the one nearest the main grandstand entrance had a queue, the one outside/the 2 others further along the main grandstand had a couple of people tops.
- I went out Sat./back Mon. and hire car was just €60.
In fact the only real negative was the feeling of regret at the end of the race. Regrest that by far the best of the action was in LMP2 and GTE, the 2 classes we're going to be saying good bye to at the end of the season! And I've still to see anything on track to justify the Hypercar hype, with only duff FIA parts preventing another (deserved) Toyota 1+2 and little real racing between the LMPH also rans. The only positive is that Cadillac engine noise which IRL is up there with the old V8 Corvettes. Outside that it's hard not to see them as slower, pale imitations of the LMP1 beasts we had a few years ago.
We holiday'd near Portimao couple of years ago and went up "to have a nosey" at the track and can fully appreciate how nice it'd be to go for a long weekend to a race.
We are off to La Sarthe this year, but think we'll try to make room for Portimao '24 as it's a place we enjoy so a spring time holiday would be perfect.
We are off to La Sarthe this year, but think we'll try to make room for Portimao '24 as it's a place we enjoy so a spring time holiday would be perfect.
Edited by Dal3D on Wednesday 19th April 11:29
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