Estoril Classics Celebrates Its 10th Edition in September

 The Autódromo do Estoril will once again host the Estoril Classics from 18 to 20 September 2026, with the event celebrating its 10th edition through a programme in which the history of international motorsport will once again take centre stage.

Over three days, the Portuguese circuit will welcome some of the most prestigious historic racing championships, bringing together on track machines that defined different eras of motorsport.

Over the past decade, the Estoril Classics has established itself among Europe’s most important historic racing festivals. The combination of a high-level sporting programme, a paddock open to spectators and the presence of rarely seen competition cars in action has transformed the event into an unmissable reference point for enthusiasts of automotive heritage.

The 2026 edition will once again feature a line-up of grids spanning several decades of racing history, from Formula 1 single-seaters to GTs and prototypes that wrote some of the most memorable chapters in international endurance racing.

One of the most anticipated highlights will once again be the Classic GP, bringing Formula 1 cars built up to 1986 back onto the track, including iconic McLaren, Williams and Lotus machines. True technical and sporting benchmarks of their era, these cars continue to deliver a unique spectacle, both through their performance and the unmistakable sound of their engines.

The 2026 edition will also mark the return of Endurance Racing Legends to the Estoril Classics programme, bringing back to the Estoril Circuit one of the most spectacular categories organised by Peter Auto.

This competition, which will feature two grids at the Estoril event, brings together some of the most recent cars competing in Peter Auto’s racing series, with GTs that shaped endurance racing and international championships during the 1990s and the early years of the new millennium. The highly anticipated return of this category to Estoril Classics will allow fans to see some of the most iconic machines from that era once again, including the Maserati MC12 GT1, Lotus Elise GT1, Chrysler Viper GTS-R and Ferrari 430 GTC, among other landmarks of modern endurance racing.

The category also welcomes some of the most emblematic prototypes of modern endurance racing, such as the Audi R8 LMP and Bentley Speed 8. The participation of these models varies from event to event, meaning their presence at the Estoril Classics can only be confirmed once the official entry list is published. The return of this competition also highlights the historic connection between the Estoril Circuit and these machines, having previously hosted rounds of the FIA GT, FIA SportsCar Championship and, later, the Le Mans Series.

Diversity will once again remain one of the event’s defining features. The Classic Touring Challenge will bring together touring cars from the 1950s and 1960s, including iconic examples such as the Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA and Lotus Cortina. Meanwhile, Classic Endurance Racing I and II will return with GTs and prototypes that starred in some of the most memorable endurance races from the 1960s to the early 1980s, including legendary models such as the Ford GT40, Porsche 935, Porsche 908 and Porsche 910.

The Heritage Touring Cup will also return with popular touring cars produced between the 1960s and 1981, featuring machines such as the Ford Capri and various BMW models. The Sixties’ Endurance will provide one of the weekend’s most iconic races on Saturday evening, reserved for GT cars built before 1966, when the Jaguar E-Type and Ferrari 250 ruled the tracks.

Adding flavour to the programme will be the 2.0 Litre Cup, dedicated to two-litre Porsche 911 SWB models, creating a grid entirely made up of one of the most iconic cars in the history of the German marque.

Another unmissable presence will be The Gentlemen Challenge. Reserved for cars of exceptional historical importance, this competition offers a rare opportunity to see extraordinary examples of automotive heritage in action, many of which are usually only displayed in private collections or museums, such as the Maserati 300S and Ferrari 250 GT SWB.

The Iberian Historic Endurance will also return to the line-up, confirming the growing importance of the Iberian Peninsula’s leading historic racing series and adding another high-quality grid featuring a wide variety of machinery, including Ford GT40s, AC Cobras and Alfa Romeo Giulia GTAm models, among others.

The organisers are also preparing further activities for spectators, with details to be announced closer to the event.

Beyond the racing action, Estoril Classics will continue to offer an experience designed for the whole family. The open paddock, close access to teams and drivers, catering areas and various planned activities will allow visitors to experience historic motorsport in a unique way, getting close to some of the world’s most prestigious historic racing teams.

As in previous editions, grandstand access on the main straight will be free of charge. Paddock access will require a ticket, with availability, access options and further information to be announced by the organisers in due course.