The organizers of the European Formula 3 Championship chose the Algarve to host the competition's ninth race, in 2015, at the expense of Russia, where the event was once planned.
The race will take place at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, in Portimão, from the 4th to the 6th of September.
The move from Eastern Europe to the Algarve was forced by teams and drivers, unhappy with the logistics required to race in Russia and the costs involved, as well as with the instability experienced in that part of the globe. Last season, three top teams had already refused to make the trip, for these reasons.
From then on, the International Automobile Federation began to look for alternatives and the choice ended up being the Algarve. Confirmation of the event was given this Monday by the organizers to Parkalgar, which manages the Autódromo do Algarve.
Taking advantage of the trip to the Algarve, the FIA also decided to schedule the official mid-season training sessions for the same circuit. In this case, it is still not absolutely certain when the different teams will head to Portimão, but everything indicates that it will be on the 1st and 2nd of September.
Second revealed to Sul Informação Parkalgar's spokesperson, only the 2015 race is guaranteed. But, «taking into account that it was the drivers and teams themselves who put pressure on the organization to drop the Russian race and opt for the Algarve», there is reason to be hopeful of a return of competition to the Algarve, in years to come.
The F3 race will be held in conjunction with another event, the Blancpain Sprint Series of Grand Tourism, which was already scheduled for the same weekend.
This is good news for lovers of the Portuguese sport, who are returning to the Algarve to Formula 3, considered by many to be the antechamber of Formula 1.
In 2009, the Portimão circuit had hosted a British F3 race and saw pilots Jules Bianchi (who, however, suffered a serious accident in a Formula 1) and Daniel Ricciardo, shine.
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