The Portuguese GP returned to MotoGP in 2020, initially as a contingency during the pandemic. Until this year, financial arrangements have always been secured to keep the Algarve International Circuit on the calendar. However, for next year, the risk of the event not taking place is very high.
The return of the Czech GP and the possible inclusion of the three rounds canceled this year may cost at least one of the GPs held in 2024 its place on the calendar. According to SportTV, which cites sources from the circuit, the Portuguese GP is not on the provisional calendar, although negotiations are still ongoing.
In an interview with the same TV station, Miguel Oliveira, the only Portuguese rider in MotoGP, confirmed that there is a serious risk of the Portuguese GP being dropped from the calendar: ‘From what we've seen in recent weeks, it seems that our home Grand Prix is at significant risk, which makes me extremely sad. It saddens me because the Portuguese GP in recent years has been held thanks to the excellent organizational efforts of the Portimão circuit management. It has been made possible with small but crucial supports and interventions from local authorities. As the general public knows, the fees to host a sporting event of MotoGP's caliber are high, but the return is also high, so I am undoubtedly perplexed by the lack of government intervention in our Grand Prix’.
When asked if direct government support is lacking, the Trackhouse Racing rider responded: ‘In my opinion, I think that's exactly what's missing – and has been missing in recent years, it's important to note. There has been zero government intervention in hosting MotoGP in Portugal in recent years. It's public knowledge that MotoGP brought around 80 million euros in direct returns to the Algarve. I'm not an economics expert, but if we do some rough calculations, if the people who attend MotoGP over the weekend spend around 1,000 euros on hotels, food, and tickets, and there are only 70,000 of them, we're already talking about a very appealing figure. If we consider that the government collects all that in VAT, it's undoubtedly a profitable Grand Prix’.
Besides the direct, immediate impact, Oliveira highlighted the broader economic benefits and the impact on Portugal's image abroad: ‘It's an event that benefits the country's economic health – not to mention the prestige the country benefits. The country is visited by many foreign people during MotoGP – people who come to spend money in our country, [...], we're talking about injecting capital into our economy. The country is very well regarded, and people leave with an excellent impression of Portugal. Furthermore, as is known, MotoGP has been held outside the so-called high season for the region. This means hotels open specifically for the event, restaurants open specifically for the event, meaning more people are employed for MotoGP, generating income in IRS, Social Security contributions from those salaries. From an economic standpoint, even though I'm not an expert, I see MotoGP as excellent for our country. Then there are the intangible benefits that we have’.
With the situation looking grim for the continuation of the Portuguese GP, the #88 made a strong appeal for government intervention: ‘Obviously, the continuation of MotoGP is at risk if the government does not intervene – considering the government is the biggest beneficiary’.
