Tickets for the MotoGP World Championship at the Autodromo do Algarve go on sale today

«We are going to start selling the first package of 5000 tickets today» for the final race of the MotoGP World Championship, which will take place at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, on 22 November. The announcement was made this afternoon, in the middle of the goal, by Paulo Pinheiro, CEO of Parkalgar, director of the circuit and the father of the Algarve track.

But the official announcement was made, in person, by the president of the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM), the Algarve's Jorge Viegas, who was at the Autodromo for the press conference that confirmed what was already known: that Miguel Oliveira, Valentino Rossi, Marc Marquéz or Fabio Quartaro are just some of the names of the world's premier motorcycling race that, on the weekend of November 22, heads to the Algarve for the final race of the Championship.

Jorge Viegas recalled that «we've been dating for a long time, FIM, DORNA [company that organizes the race] and the Autódromo do Algarve». «We had already been about to enter, when there was a problem with Silverstone», last year, but now the pandemic changed the rounds to the organizers and this time it will be Portimão to receive the race.

Regarding Formula 1, which was announced a fortnight ago also for the Algarve circuit, the FIM president pulled the ember to your sardine: is that in MotoGP «we have a Portuguese driver fighting for the top places, which does not happen with Formula 1».

João Paulo Rebelo, Secretary of State for Youth and Sports, also pointed out that “we have a rider in MotoGP and he is not a rider who walks more or less”. This weekend, Miguel Oliveira "made an excellent place, finished 6th, was fighting Valentino Rossi, who was 5th and is a motorcycle legend".

Already the former driver Miguel Praia, who was the master of ceremonies at the press conference, he had underlined that «Miguel Oliveira certainly has the dream of winning the race at home».

Rita Marques, Secretary of State for Tourism, said that the State, through Turismo de Portugal, will invest 450 thousand euros to bring to the country another event of great importance worldwide, which will be seen by «430 million people» and broadcast to close to 200 countries. But the return on investment, he guaranteed, will be much higher. «The expected impact in the short term is very positive», mainly because the race will take place in November, the low season for tourism in the Algarve…this year, due to the pandemic, perhaps even lower.

And will the MotoGP and Formula 1 World Championships return to the Autodromo do Algarve next year? Jorge Viegas, FIM president, gave no guarantees, even saying that "next year, in principle, [the MotoGP World Championship] will not be here". However, he admitted, "we don't know what the pandemic will be like next year" and whether or not new opportunities will open up for the Algarve track.

Isilda Gomes, mayor of Portimão, after quoting the poem Philosophical stone by António Gedeão [They don't know, nor do they dream,/ that the dream commands life./ That whenever a man dreams/ the world jumps and advances/ like a colored ball/ between the hands of a child], and to say that if felt like “a colored ball”, he challenged: “next year, won't we have MotoGP here? We'll see!".

Even more affirmative was Paulo Pinheiro: «the objective of our team, which is already working towards this, is, for the year, to have Formula 1 and MotoGP here again».

The director of the Autodromo guaranteed that, in the two races scheduled for this year, everything will be done to make it impossible for the drivers and organizers to «say no» to Portimão in 2021.

Isilda Gomes, congratulating Paulo Pinheiro for having achieved "the double", urged him to continue dreaming, "because every time you dream, something good comes out".

Secretary of State Rita Marques also highlighted the dreamy, but also fulfilling, side of the father of the Autodromo: «Tourism will always be on the side of people who, in addition to being visionaries, have an extraordinary capacity for execution».

And it's because of these people that on October 25, Formula 1 returns to Portugal and debuts at the Algarve International Circuit, and on October 22, MotoGP returns to Portugal and debuts at the Algarve International Circuit. Two returns, two debuts, which result from «twelve years of hard work», as Paulo Pinheiro recalled.

Photos: Elisabete Rodrigues | Sul Informação