Autódromo do Estoril
Portugal's old F1 circuit above the Cascais coast — a long pit straight, a technical middle sector and reliable winter sunshine that makes it a favourite for off-season testing.
- Length
- 4.182 km
- 2.599 miles
- Direction
- Clockwise
- 13 corners
- Noise limit
- Typically
- check with operator
- Elevation
- 155 m
- above sea level
Live conditions
Live weather is temporarily unavailable. The circuit guide and observed rain radar are still available.
Rain forecast & radar
forecast: next 24h · radar: past 2h (observed)Rain forecast — next 12h
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Forecast rain map — play the loop to see where the model expects rain over the next 24 hours around the circuit.
Observed rain radar — which way the rain has actually been moving. A dry paddock doesn't mean a dry apex.
Track map
Grand Prix · Clockwise · 13 corners- 01Curva 1 (Parabólica Interior)
- 02Curva 2
- 03Curva 3 (Esses)
- 04Curva do Tanque
- 05Curva 5
- 06Curva VIP
- 07Curva 7
- 08Curva do Gancho
- 09Curva 9
- 10Curva 10
- 11Curva 11
- 12Chicane
- 13Parabólica (Ayrton Senna)
Outline traced from surveyed map data (© OpenStreetMap contributors). Corner markers are indicative — not a substitute for the circuit's own briefing map.
The single full configuration used for racing and track days, with the chicane before the final Parabólica for bike events.
What's on
Track days
- Autumn to spring
Winter sun track days and test weeks
Various European operators
- Year-round
Open pitlane and sessioned days
Circuit / local operators
Race meetings
- Season-long
Portuguese national championship rounds
FPAK
- Spring & autumn
International historic and GT meetings
Various
Curated by hand and shown as typical timing rather than confirmed dates. Always check the operator's or organising club's own calendar before booking travel.
Key info
- Noise limit
- Typically 100 dB(A) drive-by; confirm with the operator as limits vary by event
- Elevation notes
- Rolling coastal hills with a long climb through the middle sector and a fast descent back to the final corner and the 986 m pit straight.
Known tricky sections
- Parabólica (final corner)
Long, patient right onto the longest straight on the lap. Everything about your lap time lives in this exit.
- Turn 1
Heavy braking from very high speed into a tightening right. Brake temperatures build quickly here.
- Wind off the Atlantic
The circuit is 5 km from the sea; crosswinds through the fast middle sector change the car's balance session to session.
- Surface grip
An older, polished surface that takes rubber slowly. First sessions of the day are notably slippery.
Nearby amenities
- Fuel
Alcabideche forecourts
Five minutes from the circuit on the N9; 98 RON widely available.
- Food
Circuit café / Cascais
Basic paddock catering; Cascais is 15 minutes away and far better for evenings.
- Accommodation
Cascais & Estoril
Wide range of coastal hotels 10–15 minutes away, cheap outside the summer season.
Travelling from the UK
Nearest airports
Lisbon (LIS) ~30 min. Estoril is the easiest European circuit to reach by air from the UK.
Typical routes
- Realistically a fly-and-drive: Lisbon is 30 minutes away and rental or arrive-and-drive cars are widely available.
- By road it's a 3-day drive: Eurotunnel/ferry to France, then through Spain via Salamanca — around 2,300 km from Calais.
- Plymouth–Santander or Portsmouth–Bilbao (Brittany Ferries) cuts the French leg entirely; roughly 8h from Bilbao.
Documentation & border notes
- UK-registered cars need a UK identifier — a UK sticker, or a number plate carrying the UK identifier. GB stickers are no longer valid.
- Check your road insurance covers EU driving and carry proof; a green card is not currently required for EU countries.
- Track driving is excluded from virtually every road policy — arrange separate on-track cover before you travel.
- Carry your V5C (or VE103 for a hire/lease car), photocard licence and passport.
- Portugal requires a warning triangle and hi-vis vest; headlamp deflectors are needed for RHD cars.
- Many Portuguese motorways are electronic-toll only — arrange a transponder or register your plate on arrival.
- Allow time for shipping or transport if you're bringing a race car; most UK teams use a transporter service rather than driving down.