Portuguese GP 2021: What Are the Timings & Where to Watch F1 Free Practice at Portimao?

This weekend, the Formula One fraternity heads to Portimao for the Portuguese Grand Prix. Admittedly, Portugal would not have been on the F1 radar, had it not been for the COVID-19 pandemic. Of course, what’s done is done and F1 had a Portuguese GP last year for the first time in 25 years.

Lewis Hamilton won last year’s race ahead of Valtteri Bottas and Max Verstappen. This time, the fight will be a lot closer between Mercedes and Red Bull. Fans will be able to catch the practice sessions on Friday via Sky Sports F1 in the UK. Free practice 1 will commence on Friday at 11:30 AM local time and will run for an hour.

Meanwhile, FP2 begins at 3 PM and will also run for an hour, concluding Friday’s sessions. Finally, the third practice session begins underway at 12 PM on Saturday. This will be the final time for teams to get their setups just right before qualifying kicks off.

READ MORE: Portuguese Grand Prix 2021: What Kind of Weather to Expect at Windy Portimao F1 Track?

Where to watch?

Fans in the UK will be able to catch all the action via Sky Sports F1. Fans in the US, on the other hand, will need a subscription for ESPN to catch in all the action. Users from any country can also stream the Free Practice sessions on F1 TV Pro.

What to expect from the 2021 Portuguese GP?

Without a doubt, the Algarve International Circuit is practically a high-speed rollercoaster. The track’s major characteristics include many hills and dips throughout its 4.684-kilometer length. What made last year’s race all the more treacherous was the fact that the weather played a role on occasion.

However, there will be none of that in 2021, and this will be a straight fight for glory. Of course, the Mercedes and Red Bull outfits should not get too wrapped up in their personal duel. Otherwise, it will offer other teams a chance to bounce back and steal the win for themselves.

The prime contenders are a resurgent Scuderia Ferrari and the McLaren team. The British team have already grabbed a podium in just the second race and were genuine top five material. Meanwhile, Scuderia Ferrari had a shaky start, but have since recovered well in the last race at Imola.