Circuito da Boavista

The Circuit of Boavista, Oporto, received the I Grand Prix of Portugal in 1951. In that post war times, the "Automovel Clube de Portugal" get to place our country in the international schedule of motorsport, organizing the I Grand Prix of Portugal in 1951, firstly for Sport cars, already with the best drivers of the World, as Stirling Moss, Juan Manuel Fangio, Mike Hawthorn and Jose Froilán González, among others. That series of races finishes in 1958 with the VII Grand Prix of Portugal, in Formula 1, realized in Oporto, in the circuit of Boavista.

The first Grand Prix of Portugal, organized by the "Automóvel Clube de Portugal", was in Oporto - Circuit of Boavista - in 1951. The International Circuit of Oporto, in the previous year, served as general essay, already with some foreign drivers - five Italians, five Frenchmen and one English - that had dominated the race. Felice Bonetto, in Alfa Romeo, was the winner. In 1951, the race had 26 drivers and a Portuguese winner: Casimiro de Oliveira, in Ferrari 340. In the two following years, also Oporto received the GP of Portugal - winning by the Italian Eugenio Castelloti, in Ferrari 225 (1952), and the Portuguese Manuel Nogueira Pinto, in Ferrari 250 (1953).

Curiosities about the International Circuit of Oporto

The I International Circuit of Oporto, in 1950, that Felice Bonetto wins driving an Alfa Romeo, had a particularity - gives a lot of losses to the organizers: 76.603$00, what means, in Euros, 25,714.93. For example, the organization of the event issues 50,000 tickets, put 3,000 straw bales in the streets, as 30 km of wire and 1,000 poles with 1,30 m height. In monetary conditions, the prizes are in total 253.100$00 (€84.963,38), while the cost of circuit himself was something like 156.165$00 (€52.423,18). At that time, like today, the costs with the policing work were significant: 88.076$00 (€29.566,31). Using all the experience, in the following year, they have issued 200,000 tickets. In IV Grand Prix of Portugal, the incomes with publicity are 98,200$00 (€30.226,76). Small details that illustrate the complexity of an organization like that, for an event of this kind.

In 1958 everything changed, because Portugal received, for the first time, the Formula 1 cars and drivers. At that time, there are some races extra-championship, but our country had right to the complete package: the Grand Prix of Portugal would be the ninth race in the official schedule of the World Championships for Drivers and Constructors (this last one for the first time exactly in that year). Raced in August, had as protagonists Stirling Moss and Mike Hawthorn, the two British with more possibilities to win the World Championship, succeeding to the five time World Champion, Juan Manuel Fangio. They arrived in Portugal separated for six points, with only three races to the finish of the Championship, being the last the GP of Morocco, in Casablanca. Stirling Moss, driving a green Vanwall, wins the race, but Hawthorn, in Ferrari Dino 246, made the fastest lap and finsihes in second place, collecting seven points, only less one that the victory of Moss. The decision of the title was postponed to the GP of Morocco, in Casablanca.

The gentleman drivers Age

The gentleman drivers Age would be impossible today! But the truth is that the race of Oporto, in 1958, which, according to stories of the time, was attended by more than 100,000 people - was controversial, because Hawthorn failed the braking point in the exit of Antunes Guimarães for the Lidador, and did not get his Ferrari working. He tried to push him in the right way of the circuit, but it was to climb. So, he turned the car in the wrong way, trying to use the advantage of the descent and finally he put the engine of the Ferrari working. Finished the race, the Sport Commissioners had investigated the possibility of a breaking of the rules, because to push the car against the right way of the circuit was forbidden, resulting in the declassification for the British driver. But Stirling Moss testified, saying that Hawthorn pushes the Ferrari yes, but off the track.

Hawthorn finishes for win the World Championship, for one single point. Moss was Vice-Champion. Despite the Ferrari team orders in Morocco, ordering that Phil Hill must leave Hawthorn to pass and finishing in second, this posture of Moss in Oporto stay in the memory of all the people as one of the great attitudes in the history of the World Motorsport, giving to the Hawthorn not only the World Championship, but also the first one of a British driver.

Female début in the Championship

The Circuit of Boavista also attended another important event: the Italian Maria Teresa de Filippis, was the first woman to race in Formula 1, wheeling a Maserati 250F. The Italian driver finished this race with a forsaking.

The third GP of Portugal in Formula 1 - the ninth GP - was helded one more time in Oporto. Now, the Lotus-Climax was able to defy the Cooper - at least, in qualifying. John Surtees, the pluri-champion of motorbikes, assured the pole position, after a big fight with Dan Gurney, in BRM. Brabham, in Cooper, that will be the World Champion at the end of the Championship, closed the first line of the grid. In the race, the reliability of the Cooper distinguished to the speed of the Lotus. Jack Brabham and the New Zealander Bruce McLaren offered the one-two to the Cooper. Jim Clark assured the third place for Lotus, the fastest car in track, as proved Surtees, with the fastest lap.

Mário Cabral, came back to the Portuguese Grand Prix, now driving the Cooper-Maserati of the team Centro Sud: he was in seventh position, in front of Olivier Gendebien and Innes Ireland when the gearbox broke. Portugal would have to wait 24 years to be able to have a F1 GP.

The I International Circuit of Oporto, realized in 1950, was win for Felice Bonetto, in Alfa Romeo and had a loss of 76.603$00, what means, in the actual money, something like 25,714.93 Euros?

The first out of Italy!

The Formula Junior race, realized during the Circuit of Boavista, in 1958, and win for 'Mané ' Nogueira Pinto, in Stanguelini. was the first one to become full filled out of Italy.