The 2021 Portuguese Grand Prix is set to be a few degrees cooler and more overcast than F1’s previous outing to the Autodromo do Algarve.
The 2020 race at the circuit near Portimao was not especially warm by F1 standards, with air temperatures peaking at around 22C. This year’s event, held much earlier in the year, will see temperatures around 3C lower across every session, and more cloud cover over the circuit.Track temperatures are therefore likely to be slightly down on last year as well, particularly given the more overcast skies. Last year’s first practice session had an air temperature high of 21C but a track temperature high of 34C. This year, the same session will have an ambient high of 17C and be cloudy.
Second practice will, predictably, be a little warmer at 19C and also considerably windier, with the breeze up to 23 kilometres per hour. Saturday’s final practice and qualifying will follow a similar pattern, with the wind again picking up a little session and temperatures around the same beneath cloudy skies.
Early predictions for race day indicate conditions should take a turn for the better. Much sunnier weather is expected in time for the grand prix. Even so, it should remain relatively brisk with an air temperature high of 24C during the scheduled race time and 24kph winds.
The risk of rain will remain low all weekend, so there should be little chance of a repeat of the wet conditions seen at Imola.
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MacLeod (@macleod)
29th April 2021, 8:42
That could be in Mercedes advantage as when it has his tyres on temp just a bit faster then RB. We will see strategies coming up!
Zann (@zann)
29th April 2021, 9:26
I’m thinking it’s the other way round, and Bottas who hasn’t been able to get his rears up to temperature. Perez is more about just a lack of precision compared to Max and Lewis.
MacLeod (@macleod)
29th April 2021, 13:04
I meant Mercedes has the racepace but RedBull the poleposition. It’s al very small difference between them but with a good call Mercedes could pull it off.
Mashiat (@mashiat)
29th April 2021, 9:38
@macleod I reckon this will favour Red Bull in qualifying as they seem to be able to generate tyre temperatures quicker, however, Mercedes will probably benefit from better tyre wear over a stint, even though they might be slow in the first few laps. I predict a Verstappen pole but a Hamilton victory.
Balue (@balue)
29th April 2021, 10:39
@mashiat Yes, especially with the superior Mercedes tactics.
It’s interesting how a lot will depend on Bottas and Perez to block the undercut, and that could go either way as we know.
Arnoud van Houwelingen (@kavu)
29th April 2021, 9:18
Ehm sunny weather and temperatures of 24 degrees celcius on raceday doesn’t sound cool to me?? In The Netherlands we consider that a hot day :)
Jere (@jerejj)
29th April 2021, 9:25
@kavu Indeed. A couple of degrees higher than 22, after all.
Jere (@jerejj)
29th April 2021, 9:30
Overall, pretty similar to last time, albeit race day warmer than last year’s high, and not far off it on practice and QLF day either. At least, warmer than Imola last time out.
Rodber
29th April 2021, 12:02
Here we go again. The famous Lewis luck is again intervening on his side with cooler conditions forecast. Has he ever known an unlucky day?
anon
29th April 2021, 18:12
Rodber – what exactly do you expect from a race being held in Europe at the start of May?
The weather conditions are exactly in line with the normal seasonal conditions for Portimao in early May – in fact, if anything the predicted air temperature of 24ºC would be towards the higher range of what would normally be expected in Portimao at this time of year.
You’re basically going “how dare the climate of Portimao behaves as it normally does at this time of year!?” – there is a point where such rants start to veer into the irrational, and complaining that somebody is “lucky” because the climate is behaving exactly as expected is rather veering into that territory.
anon
29th April 2021, 18:20
Also, to add to the previous comment – if anything, having cool conditions might actually be worse for Mercedes and instead favour Red Bull.
In Imola, Mercedes were having the problem of needing multiple laps to bring their tyres up to temperature – or, in Bottas’s case, stuck with tyres that were too cold – whereas Red Bull can bring their tyres up to temperature much more rapidly, giving them an advantage if the ambient temperatures are colder.
If Portimao has similar weather conditions, your logic would dictate that it was actually Verstappen who would be the “lucky” driver, as the conditions would favour the characteristics of his car instead.
MacLeod (@macleod)
30th April 2021, 8:20
Porblem is Red Bull losses performance fasster and have to pit sooner. I think that is the comment meaning.
anon
30th April 2021, 9:54
But that looks like it is more of an inherent trait of the car that isn’t really that weather dependent, and more of a consequence of the suspension geometry.