The Circuito Estoril is an FIA Grade 1, 2.6-miles (4.18-km) race track at a half an hour ride west of Lisbon, Portugal. It hosted the Formula 1 Portuguese Grand Prix from 1984 to 1996 and currently runs the Superbike World Championship, the International GT Open, and many other high-profile racing events. Estoril has an impressive vertical gain of 134 ft (40 m) on its 13-turn trajectory, with several sectors going downhill at full speed and uphill climbs creating blind corners throughout the circuit. The temperate climate of the Portuguese Riviera is ideal for outdoor activities year-round, with a good balance between sunny and rainy days.
Races at the Circuito Estoril start/finish near the end of its 985-meters (3231-feet) long main straight. The first three corners, Curva 1, Curva 2, and Curva 3, are right-handers with varying angles, the first pair going downhill and the third one going uphill. Turn number four is a blind and tight left-hander called Curva VIP. The next segment allows racecars to go full-throttle through a pair of straights separated by a sweeping turn number five. A heavy braking sector taking cars from 200 km/h (124 mph) to 50 km/h (31 mph) comes at corner number six, Parabolica Interior. Racers gain speed right from the exit and head into a short straight, Gancho, taking them to a 60-degree corner at Orelha. The Esses come next: a highly technical combination of 5 sneaking corners coming in quick succession. The last segment before the final straight is the Parabolica Ayrton Senna, after whose exit racers start accelerating to the 240 km/h (149 mph) they will develop when reaching the final line.