Paulo Pinheiro, CEO of Parkalgar SA, the company that owns the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, wants to see a lot of public in the stands of the Mundial de Superbikes, which returns to the Portimão circuit next weekend, from 5-7 June.
The Superbike World Championship is the third most watched motorized race on track in the world, after Formula 1 and Moto GP. Interestingly, the international television broadcast of the Portimão race was, last year, «the most watched of the entire Superbike World Championship», reveals Paulo Pinheiro.
“This race works very well in terms of television and, last year, we had something like 5 million people around the world watching the race at the Autodromo do Algarve”, he stresses.
«Abroad, this circuit is one of the most popular, any international magazine speaks highly of us, the big brands and the big competitions prefer us», stresses the Autódromo CEO.
Paulo Pinheiro: «Abroad, this circuit is one of the most popular, any international magazine speaks highly of us, the big brands and the big competitions prefer us»
«But in the Algarve, in general, and in the Portimão area, in particular, it is where we have the worst penetration rate. It seems that people, after the initial enthusiasm, now have a bad feeling towards the circuit and the local public doesn't come here», laments Paulo Pinheiro.
As a man for many years connected to motorsports and machines, which have always been his great passion, this civil engineer knows that «motorsport, at an international level, now has less and less public on the circuit» and that «racing is increasingly a television product'.
But that doesn't lessen his grief for what he classifies as the “huge alienation” of the Algarve and Portimonense public. “It's not the price of tickets that turns people off. We have had tests where admission is free and they still don't come here. We now have tickets starting at 7 euros. That cannot be the excuse».
Do people associate the Autodromo with the catastrophic financial situation of the Portimão Council?
«From the Chamber, we only received 70 thousand euros, we never received anything else. From the Government, they were just promises. But, for our part, we invested 200 million euros here, we created and built infrastructures that we gave to the municipality, such as roads, a pipeline, fiber optic network. And we created jobs, in addition to being fundamental in an Algarve where, apart from the World Championship, there are no longer any big events».
After having its Special Recovery Process (PER) approved in 2012, which allowed it to restructure the debt, Parkalgar is now running smoothly and has plans for the future.
“Races are important, because they are what gives visibility to the circuit, but they are above all marketing tools to attract other events”, throughout the year. And, at that level, things are going very well: “this year we have 315 days of track occupancy, not counting the races. From January 12th to May 19th, we had a single empty day».
Paulo Pinheiro: «This year we have 315 days of occupation of the track, not counting the races. From January 12th and May 19th, we had a single empty day»
The Superbike World Championship (and the associated races) comprises a structure that involves 5000 people, including 40 doctors, 400 stewards, riders, mechanics, journalists, not to mention the public who faithfully follow these races.
«All these people stay here in the Algarve for a week, stay in hotels from Lagos to Faro, go to restaurants, go to stores», stresses Paulo Pinheiro.
«Although, outside the municipality of Portimão, this has been happening for a long time, here I finally see some hotels and restaurants realizing the importance of the Autodromo. But there is still aloofness and, on top of that, a constant bad language».
The CEO of Parkalgar is keen to stress that "the argument for bringing here certain races, such as Superbikes, is the track". And this is the same argument that leads the big international brands to choose the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve to make world presentations of new models, or for tests.
«EVO magazine, the most important internationally in the field of motor sports, considers us the best track in Europe and one of the best in the world. That's why all the big brands in the world know Portimão. Porsche, Mercedes, McLaren, they all pass through here. An American newspaper, the New York Times, was here some time ago to launch a new car model, and ended up writing a small article about the car and a larger one about the racecourse and this entire area of the Algarve».
In the first quarter of 2015 alone, «the Autodromo had the presence of four major events, which brought to the circuit and, consequently, to the Algarve about 10 thousand people. Among teams, technicians and customers, invited by the major motorsport brands, the photographers and journalists stand out, who publicize the circuit, the Algarve and Portugal all over the world».
And what events were these? January hosted the private tests of World Superbike teams (Ducati, Agusta, BMW, Motorrad Italia, Red Devils, Puccetti WSS, Sofuoglu & Faccari, Suzuki WSBK, EBR and Althea).
That same month there was also the world presentation of the new Ducati 1299 Panigale motorcycle and tests by HTP Motorsports.
In February, at Track Day Speed Week, Black Falcon brought 80 vehicles to the Portimonense circuit. There were also tests of the Toyota TS040 Hybrid LMP1, from the Toyota Motorsport Le Mans team.
In February and March, the Autodromo hosted the world presentation of the new Mercedes C63 AMG Bi-Turbo.
In March, there were also tests of the DTM championship, with teams from Audi, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, as well as tests of the new BMW M6 GT3, and of FF Corse and Team BMW Brasil.
This month also received the worldwide presentation of the Porsche Cayman GT4.
And Sul Informação can announce, first hand, that in July, from 8 to 25, the Autódromo do Algarve will have another world presentation, the new Audi R8. 350 journalists from all over the world will be present, in addition to the staff and other guests.
As for the races, after the FIM CEV Repsol (April), the TCR International Series (May) and the FIM Superbike World Championship (5th to 7th June), there will also be the Algarve round of the Blancpain GT Series (4th to 6th September) , which includes the Racing Weekend and the European F3 FIA Championship.
Formula 3, recalls Paulo Pinheiro, is «a stepping stone to Formula 1», so some of the drivers who will be in the Algarve may soon be the stars of the top sport in world motorsport. As for the GT Series, Parkalgar's CEO recalls that these are races between «gentlemen drivers».
From the 23rd to the 25th of October, the Algarve Classic Festival returns, while the Grand Finals of the Rotax Max Challenge will be on the Algarve circuit from the 8th to the 14th of November, bringing «over 400 riders, teams, families, guests, for a week». The last big race will be the Maxi Endurance 32h (20th to 22nd November).
Paulo Pinheiro: «The return of all this is in the Algarve. There are thousands of people who come to the region just for the circuit and come out of the summer»
In addition to all this intense programming, on the 15th of June, the Autodromo will host a «Formula 1 driving course».
«The return of all this is in the Algarve, in the hotels, in the restaurants. There are thousands and thousands of people who come here just because of the circuit and who come out of the summer, as our high season is the rest of the year», makes a point of stressing Paulo Pinheiro.
However, accuses the CEO of Parkalgar, "in winter we could even attract more events, but we lost them because of the airport and the lack of flights".
Furthermore, he stresses, “in winter there is nothing to do at night. Events are also lost because of that». Hence, the person responsible for the Autodromo defends that hoteliers, owners of restaurants, bars and clubs should organize themselves better, so that there is «always entertainment operating in the Algarve, even in winter».
«At any time of the year, these entrepreneurs benefit from all these people who come to the Algarve exclusively because of the excellent circuit we have here. Many of them are already realizing this. Just talk to luxury 5-star hotels to see what they say».
If the sector that lives connected to tourism is already realizing the importance of the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, it now has to win the local and regional public.
To give a little help to ensure this empathy, during the current week and until Friday, the 5th, when the Superbikes circus is fully established in the Algarve, there will be several activities in Portimão and also in other areas of the region, which will involve more interaction. direct with the drivers and their machines.
Comments