Circuito Internacional de Vila Real
Street circuit in Vila Real, Portugal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Circuito Internacional de Vila Real is a 4.785 km (2.973 mi) temporary street circuit in Vila Real, Portugal. This circuit was used for car and motorbike races.
Re-opened: 5 October 2007
Urban Circuit (2007–present) | |
| Location | Vila Real |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°18′01″N 7°43′52″W |
| FIA Grade | 3R[a] |
| Opened | 15 June 1931 Re-opened: 5 October 2007 |
| Closed | 1991 |
| Major events | Current: TCR World Tour (2025–present) Former: WTCR Race of Portugal (2018–2019, 2022) WTCC Race of Portugal (2015–2017) Classic Endurance Racing (2024) ETC (2016–2017) |
| Website | https://www.circuitodevilareal.pt/ |
| Urban Circuit (2007–present) | |
| Length | 4.785 km (2.973 mi) |
| Turns | 24 |
| Race lap record | 1:57.929 ( Robert Huff, Citroën C-Elysée WTCC, 2017, TC1) |
| Old Urban Circuit (1958–1991) | |
| Length | 6.925 km (4.303 mi) |
| Race lap record | 2:19.920 ( Carlos Gaspar, Lola T292, 1973, Group 5) |
| Original Urban Circuit (1931–1953) | |
| Length | 7.200 km (4.474 mi) |
| Race lap record | 3:51.750 ( Giovanni Bracco, Ferrari 212 Export Vignale Barchetta, 1951, Sports car racing) |
The circuit
The circuit layout has suffered several changes through the times. Started as a 7.370 km (4.580 mi) street circuit in 1931, it was later reduced to a 6.925 km (4.303 mi) version in the 1950s, which lasted until 1991, with small chances in some corner, chicanes introduction and start/finish line being moved forward.[1][2]
After a deadly accident in 1991, no race would take place in this circuit until 2007, after a length reduction to a 4.785 km (2.973 mi) long renovated layout. From the original circuit, remains the up and downhill section, from turn 6 (Boque), until turn 19, that drivers used to turn left. This section also gives the track big elevation changes.[3]
It is often considered a challenging track due to high speeds reaching up to 170kph, and drivers being very close to the barriers.[4]
Lap records
As of July 2026, the fastest official race lap records at the Circuito Internacional de Vila Real are listed as:
Winners
| Season | Edition | Driver | Car/Motor | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1931 | 1st | Gaspar Sameiro Ercílio Barbosa |
Ford A | |
| 1932 | 2nd | Vasco Sameiro |
Invicta | |
| 1933 | 3rd | Vasco Sameiro |
Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza | |
| 1934 | 4th | António Guedes de Herédia |
Bugatti T35B | |
| 1935 | Not held | |||
| 1936 | 5th | Adolfo Ferreirinha |
Ford V8 | |
| 1937 | 6th | Casimiro de Oliveira |
Jaguar SS100 | |
| 1938 | 7th | Vasco Sameiro |
Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza | |
| 1939-48 | Not held | |||
| 1949 | 8th | José Cabral |
Allard K1 | |
| 1950 | 9th | Piero Carini |
OSCA | Sport |
| 1951 | 10th | Giovanni Bracco |
Ferrari 212 Export Barchetta | Sport |
| 1952 | 11th | Antonio Stagnoli |
Ferrari 225 S Spider | Sport |
| 1953-57 | Not held | |||
| 1958 | 12th | Stirling Moss |
Maserati 300S | Sport |
| 1966 | 13th | John Miles |
Ford Cortina Lotus | Touring car |
| John Fenning |
Brabham BT18 - Ford/Cosworth | Formula Three | ||
| 1967 | 14th | Mike de Udy |
Lola T70 MkII Chevrolet | Sport |
| Chris Williams |
Brabham BT21 - Ford/Holbay | Formula Three | ||
| 1968 | 15th | Mike de Udy |
Lola T70 MkII Chevrolet | Sport |
 Reine Wisell |
Tecno 68 - Ford/Novamotor | Formula Three | ||
| 1969 | 16th | Chris Craft David Piper |
Porsche 908/2 | 6 hour/Endurance |
| 1970 | 17th |  Teddy Pilette Gustave Gosselin |
Lola T70 MkII Chevrolet | 500 km/Endurance |
| 1971 | 18th |  Jorge Bagration |
Porsche 908/2 | Sports |
| 1972 | 19th |  Claude Swietlick |
Lola T290 | Sports |
| 1973 | 20th | Carlos Gaspar |
Lola T292 | Sports |
| 1979 | 21st | Robert Giannone |
Porsche 935 | |
| 1980 | 22nd | António Barros |
Porsche 935 | |
| 1981 | 23rd | Robert Giannone |
Porsche 935 | |
| 1982 | 24th | Mário Silva |
Ford Escort RS 1800 Mk 2 | |
| 1983 | 25th | António Taveira |
BMW M1 | |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| 2007 | 40th | Francisco Carvalho |
SEAT Leon Supercopa | PTCC |
| César Campaniço |
BMW 320si | |||
| Pedro Salvador |
Juno SSE | Sports prototypes | ||
| 2008 | 41st | César Campaniço |
BMW 320si | PTCC |
| Francisco Carvalho |
SEAT Leon Supercopa | |||
| Pedro Salvador |
Juno SSE | GT & Sports prototypes | ||
| Pedro Salvador |
Juno SSE | GT & Sports prototypes | ||
| 2009 | 42nd | César Campaniço |
BMW 320si | PTCC |
| João Figueiredo |
Peugeot 407 S200 | |||
| Francisco Martins |
Porsche 997 | GT & Sports prototypes | ||
| Francisco Martins |
Porsche 997 | |||
| 2010 | 43rd | José Monroy |
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | PTCC |
| José Monroy |
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | |||
| Pedro Salvador |
Juno SSE | Sports prototypes | ||
| César Campaniço
|
Audi R8 LMS | GT | ||
| 2014 | 44th | Pedro Salvador
|
Tatuus PY012 | Sports prototypes |
| Pedro Salvador
|
Tatuus PY012 | |||
| 2015 | 45th |  José María López |
 Citroën |
WTCC |
 Ma Qing Hua |
Citroën | |||
| 2016 | 46th |  Tom Coronel |
 Chevrolet |
WTCC |
| Tiago Monteiro |
 Honda | |||
| 2017 | 47th |  Mehdi Bennani |
Citroën |
WTCC |
 Norbert Michelisz |
Honda | |||
| 2017 | 48th | |||
| 2018 | 49th |  Yvan Muller |
 Hyundai |
WTCR |
 Mat'o Homola |
Peugeot | |||
| Thed Björk |
Hyundai | |||
| 2019 | 50th | Tiago Monteiro |
Honda |
WTCR |
 Mikel Azcona |
CUPRA | |||
| Norbert Michelisz |
Hyundai | |||
| 2022 | 51st |  Santiago Urrutia |
Lynk & Co |
WTCR |
| Robert Huff |
CUPRA | |||
| 2023 | 52ª | José Carlos Pires Francisco Abreu |
BMW M4 GT4 (G82) | Campeonato de Portugal de Velocidade |
| Patrick Cunha Jorge Rodrigues |
Audi R8 LMS GT4 | |||
Notes
- Circuito International de Vila Real Fernanda Pires da Silva's Grade 3R license expired on 3 January 2026.
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