A Lap of Portimão

“We cross the start finish line in 6^th gear to start a new lap at close to 300kph, it’s very quick. Down shift to 4^th gear with a small brake. It’s important to touch the inside kerb at turn 1 but not the ‘sausage’.  Get on the gas early to get a good exit because it is quite a quick corner.

“T3 is flat out and position the car ready for T4.  For T4 brake down to 1^st gear, get out tight, which is very important so you can position the car for the next corner which is very quick. Just touch the inside kerb and then the outside kerb and be aware the track limits as Mr Freitas (Race Director) is always looking there.

“Straight on down to the next corner. Heavy brake downhill to a very big hairpin corner at T6, which is a 1^st gear corner. It is important to get out well as the next one is uphill, so you need a good exit.

“T7 is an easy flat, even in the rain.  T8 is a small brake and carry a lot of speed, positioning yourself to get the best run into T9. Downshift two gears, this one is an uphill hairpin to the right.  It tends to oversteer here on the exit, so we use the kerb. 

“This is an interesting point on the Portimão circuit because you don’t see anything, you are looking to the sky and just guessing where you are going to. You then start descending, this is the rollercoaster of Portimão.

“T10 is flat in 5^th gear and then compression, a little like Eau Rouge at Spa, going up and brake down to T11. You don’t know where the apex is because it’s kind of blind as it flattens out and it’s a big hairpin.  T12 is taken in 3^rd gear, you can scrub off a lot more speed than you can think of. 

“Then going down again to T13 and you need to be careful as the rear can step out here. Then up shift, braking in a straight line to T14, dropping down to 2^nd gear.  It’s a corner you can carry a lot more speed than you think.

“Exit on the kerb and head to T15.  It’s a very tricky corner as it is downhill. You don’t want to brake too late because then you miss the apex and it is very hard to get it there. You don’t want to brake too early because you are just losing time. Get on the gas early because if you get this right you flat out until T1.

“T16 is a very funny corner. You go up there and you just see nothing, just grandstands, and then all of a sudden you go around in 5^th gear at 200kph, you go over the kerb a little bit and then you start descending again. You need to compensate with the descending, positioning the car, otherwise you will skate all around the track and you will hit the ‘marbles’.  If you hit the marbles you are done, you will never come back because it is too quick.

You exit the corner at 270kph, so it is very quick and then you go back onto the main straight.”