Last July, SPEEDWEEK.com sadly reported on the unexpected death of Paulo Pinheiro. The “Prince of Portimao” died when he was only 52 years old. Portugal honors his achievements after his death.
The news of Pinheiro’s unexpected death shocked the entire racing world. Whether in the world of two wheels or four wheels, everyone who knew the founder and managing director of the Portimao circuit missed a shrewd businessman and a passionate sports enthusiast.
Paulo Pinheiro had already caused a sensation by continuing to carry his vision of a modern motorsport center in the middle of an area known for tourism to the end.
But when the unique race track in the Algarve started working in 2008, Paulo Pinheiro really started. Little by little, the founder and managing director of Autodromo managed to bring the most important racing series to the Algarve.
More than ten years after the first days of the track and indoor racing events, Pinheiro and his team had arrived at the Olympus race track. In 2020, the Superbike, MotoGP and Formula 1 World Championships were held at the site near the holiday capital of Portimao.
For motorcycle pilots, the race, which quickly overtook the old station of Estoril in terms of popularity, includes more than a unique roller coaster. No other race track in Europe offers the same layout and number of technically demanding sections and blind turns. The extreme road is very popular with many drivers, but it has also claimed many victims.
Gravel beds with irregularly shaped sharp edges were and are being criticized. Sandro Cortese’s career came to an early end in the Algarve, as did MotoGP rider Pol Espargaro’s career. Both world champions could not fully recover from their injuries in Portimao. This did not affect the popularity of Paulo Pinheiro’s life work.
A few months after the tragic death of the visionary, Paulo Pinheiro was honored by his country last week for his service in the region. The National Tourism Award ceremony was attended by the Secretary of State for Tourism, Pedro Machado, various players in the tourism industry and the program’s jury.
The nomination and posthumous award by the jury of the National Tourism Award honors the legacy of Paulo Pinheiro and his contribution to the development of tourism in the Algarve.
The extended MotoGP contract also underlines the fact that a busy racing center and a tourist destination can co-exist. Two months after the death of the racing CEO, Dorna boss Carmelo Ezpeleta confirmed the agreement to host the Portuguese GP in Portimao until 2026.
Ezpeleta concluded: “Since we first came to the Autodromo in the Algarve it has been a favorite with many fans and drivers and it is easy to see why. Not only is it a great place to race, but the event itself has improved year on year and we are proud to have such positive results for economic, sporting and social in this area.
