Situated on the Atlantic coast of Portugal, 28km from capital city Lisbon (and just 4 km from Casal Antigo), the Estoril circuit was built in 1972 by Fernanda Pires da Silva.
The circuit was used mainly for European F2 races in the seventies and after major redevelopment in the early eighties it staged its first Formula 1 Grand Prix in 1984. One of the trickiest tracks on the GP calendar, Estoril combines long, constant radius corners with heavy braking zones, bumpy straights and a difficult chicane which was added to the back section in 1994.
The track was considered too dangerous, and was modified twice to try and satisfy the demands of F1 before the series left. The track was subsequently modified for the year 2000, with the hope of getting F1 to return. They didn't return for racing, but did return for testing.
Moto GP came to Estoril for the first time in 2000 ; and now it's a regular event in the world championship. Estoril circuit it's also a regular training circuit during the warm portuguese winter for a big part of the Moto GP teams that choose our country year after year for the pre-season stages. Its geographical position means that weather can be unpredictable, although its generally warm, dry nature makes it a regular choice for IRTA pre-season testing sessions.

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