 | |
| Location | Vila Real, Portugal |
|---|---|
| Time zone | WET (UTC+0) WEST (April-October, UTC+1) |
| Opened | 1931 (re-opened 2007) |
| Closed | 1991 |
| Major events | WTCR Race of Portugal (2015–2019, 2022) |
| Urban Circuit (2007–present) | |
| Length | 4.785 km (2.974 miles) |
| Turns | 24 |
| Race lap record | 1:57.929 ( Robert Huff, Citroën C-Elysée WTCC, 2017, WTCC) |
| Old Urban Circuit (1958–1991) | |
| Length | 6.925 km (4.303 miles) |
| Original Urban Circuit (1931–1953) | |
| Length | 7.200 km (4.474 miles) |
| Website | www |
The Circuito Internacional de Vila Real is a 4.785 km (2.973 mi) temporary street circuit in Vila Real, Portugal. This circuit was used for car and moto races.
The circuit
The circuit layout has suffered several changes through the times. Started as a 7.370 km (4.580 mi) street circuit in 1931, it was later reduced to a 6.925 km (4.303 mi) version in the 1950s, which lasted until 1991, with small chances in some corner, chicanes introduction and start/finish line being moved forward.[1]
After a deadly accident in 1991, no race would take place in this circuit until 2007, after a length reduction to a 4.785 km (2.973 mi) long renovated layout. From the original circuit, remains the up and downhill section, from turn 6 (Boque), until turn 19, that drivers used to turn left. This section also gives the track big elevation changes.[2]
It's considered one of the most challenging tracks, due to its corners, high speed and drivers being very close to the barriers.[3]
Lap records
The official race lap records at the Circuito Internacional de Vila Real are listed as:
| Category | Time | Driver | Vehicle | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urban Circuit: 4.785 km (2007–present) | ||||
| WTCC | 1:57.929[4] | Robert Huff | Citroën C-Elysée WTCC | 2017 FIA WTCC Race of Portugal |
| TCR Touring Car | 2:01.525[5] | Robert Huff | CUPRA León Competición TCR | 2022 FIA WTCR Race of Portugal |
Winners
| Season | Edition | Driver | Car/Motor | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1931 | 1st |  Gaspar Sameiro Ercílio Barbosa
|
Ford A | |
| 1932 | 2nd | Vasco Sameiro
|
Invicta | |
| 1933 | 3rd | Vasco Sameiro
|
Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza | |
| 1934 | 4th | António Guedes de Herédia
|
Bugatti T35B | |
| 1935 | Not held | |||
| 1936 | 5th | Adolfo Ferreirinha
|
Ford V8 | |
| 1937 | 6th | Casimiro de Oliveira
|
Jaguar SS100 | |
| 1938 | 7th | Vasco Sameiro
|
Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza | |
| 1939-48 | Not held | |||
| 1949 | 8th | José Cabral
|
Allard K1 | |
| 1950 | 9th |  Piero Carini
|
OSCA | Sport |
| 1951 | 10th | Giovanni Bracco
|
Ferrari 212 Export Barchetta | Sport |
| 1952 | 11th | Antonio Stagnoli
|
Ferrari 225 S Spider | Sport |
| 1953-57 | Not held | |||
| 1958 | 12th | Stirling Moss
|
Maserati 300S | Sport |
| 1966 | 13th | John Miles
|
Ford Cortina Lotus | Touring car |
| John Fenning
|
Brabham BT18 - Ford/Cosworth | Formula Three | ||
| 1967 | 14th | Mike de Udy
|
Lola T70 MkII Chevrolet | Sport |
| Chris Williams
|
Brabham BT21 - Ford/Holbay | Formula Three | ||
| 1968 | 15th | Mike de Udy
|
Lola T70 MkII Chevrolet | Sport |
 Reine Wisell
|
Tecno 68 - Ford/Novamotor | Formula Three | ||
| 1969 | 16th | Chris Craft David Piper
|
Porsche 908/2 | 6 hour/Endurance |
| 1970 | 17th |  Teddy Pilette Gustave Gosselin
|
Lola T70 MkII Chevrolet | 500 km/Endurance |
| 1971 | 18th |  Jorge Bagration
|
Porsche 908/2 | Sports |
| 1972 | 19th |  Claude Swietlick
|
Lola T290 Ford | Sports |
| 1973 | 20th | Carlos Gaspar
|
Lola T292 Ford | Sports |
| 1979 | 21st | Robert Giannone
|
Porsche 935 | |
| 1980 | 22nd | António Barros
|
Porsche 935 | |
| 1981 | 23rd | Robert Giannone
|
Porsche 935 | |
| 1982 | 24th | Mário Silva
|
Ford Escort RS 1800 Mk 2 | |
| 1983 | 25th | António Taveira
|
BMW M1 | |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| 2007 | 40th | Francisco Carvalho
|
SEAT Leon Supercopa | PTCC |
| César Campaniço
|
BMW 320si | |||
| Pedro Salvador
|
Juno SSE | Sports protypes | ||
| 2008 | 41st | César Campaniço
|
BMW 320si | PTCC |
| Francisco Carvalho
|
SEAT Leon Supercopa | |||
| Pedro Salvador
|
Juno SSE | GT & Sports protypes | ||
| Pedro Salvador
|
Juno SSE | GT & Sports protypes | ||
| 2009 | 42nd | César Campaniço
|
BMW 320si | PTCC |
| João Figueiredo
|
Peugeot 407 S200 | |||
| Francisco Martins
|
Porsche 997 | GT & Sports protypes | ||
| Francisco Martins
|
Porsche 997 | |||
| 2010 | 43rd | José Monroy
|
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | PTCC |
| José Monroy
|
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | |||
| Pedro Salvador
|
Juno SSE | Sports protypes | ||
| César Campaniço
|
Audi R8 LMS | GT | ||
| 2014 | 44th | Pedro Salvador
|
Tatuus PY012 | Sports protypes |
| Pedro Salvador
|
Tatuus PY012 | |||
| 2015 | 45th |  José María López
|
Citroën
|
WTCC |
 Ma Qing Hua
|
Citroën
| |||
| 2016 | 46th |  Tom Coronel
|
 Chevrolet
|
WTCC |
| Tiago Monteiro
|
 Honda
| |||
| 2017 | 47th |  Mehdi Bennani
|
Citroën
|
WTCC |
 Norbert Michelisz
|
Honda
| |||
| 2017 | 48th | |||
| 2018 | 49th | Yvan Muller
|
 Hyundai
|
WTCR |
 Mat'o Homola
|
Peugeot
| |||
| Thed Björk
|
Hyundai
| |||
| 2019 | 50th | Tiago Monteiro
|
Honda
|
WTCR |
| Mikel Azcona
|
Cupra
| |||
| Norbert Michelisz
|
Hyundai
| |||
| 2020 | 51st | Cancelled due to Coronavirus pandemic | WTCR | |
References
- ^ "Vila Real". RacingCircuits.info. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
- ^ "Circuit Internacional de Vila Real - The Heart of Racing in Portugal". SnapLap. 10 June 2016. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
- ^ Rodgers, Richard (15 June 2018). "Race preview: Vila Real deal Ehrlacher leads the WTCR charge to the home of the joker lap". FIA WTCR | World Touring Car Cup. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
- ^ "2017 FIA WTCC Race of Portugal Statistics". Retrieved 19 December 2021.
- ^ "WTCR 2022 » Vila Real Round 10 Results". Retrieved 3 July 2022.
External links
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This page was last edited on 3 July 2022, at 18:36