Sunshine, Engines and Classics: The Algarve Classic Festival Gets Under Way
The opening day of the 2026 Algarve Classic Festival was a resounding success, both on and off the track, with glorious weather and an atmosphere perfectly befitting a celebration of historic motorsport.
With more than 170 cars on site and drivers representing thirty different nationalities, the first day of on-track action at the Algarve International Circuit featured private practice sessions, qualifying and even two races. It offered a tantalising taste of a weekend set to be filled with celebration, camaraderie and plenty of excitement, in the company of machines that once ruled race circuits around the world.
On the sporting front, the mighty touring cars and GT machines built after 1976 contested their first race this afternoon. Earlier in the morning, before the Carrera 80 field took to the track, the grid for this Iberian-based series completed its qualifying session, in which British driver Mike Manning, at the wheel of his Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth, beat the BMW 3.0 CSL shared by Ross and Nick Hyett to claim pole position.
The 40-minute race, featuring a mandatory pit stop, proved a challenging affair for the imposing Sierra, resplendent in its unmistakable Texaco colours, as a series of setbacks dropped it down the order. This opened the door for the Hyett family's 'Batmobile' to secure victory in a race featuring several entertaining battles between cars from different classes.
The elegant Morgan Plus 8 of British brothers Richard and William Plant was the next to take the chequered flag, following an entertaining three-way battle. Luís Nunes' Ford Escort RS1600 finished behind, followed by the Ferrari 308 GTB shared by John Dickson and Paul Whight.
In the Equipe Sports Prototype race, the first of three scheduled for the weekend in this series reserved for small open-cockpit prototypes, victory went to Brazilian driver Joaquim Penteado in a Revolution 500 EVO. He finished ahead of Britain's Phil Brown in a Radical SR3 SRX and Ian Charles in a Radical PR6.
Turning to the qualifying sessions, in Iberian Historic Endurance 2 (HE2), reserved for the GTP & SC, H-1971 and H-1976 categories, the front row of the grid went to the Ford GT40s of Alex Collins and the pairing of Paulo Lima and Jordi Puig. The second row will be occupied by Tom Canning in a Ginetta G10 and the Portuguese duo of João Mira Gomes and Nuno Afoito in a Lotus Seven.
In Historic Endurance 1 (HE1), which caters for the Gentleman Driver Spirit (GDS) and H-1965 categories, the presence of more than fifty cars on track made finding clear laps particularly challenging. Even so, the fancied Shelby Cobra Daytona of the Franco-Belgian pairing of Bruce Pineau and Olivier Muytjens set the fastest time, edging out Laurent Jaspers' Jaguar E-Type by just one thousandth of a second, setting the scene for two closely fought races. Graham Wilson's Lotus Elan 26R was also close behind in qualifying.
The day's action concluded with the headline event: the second edition of the 300km Algarve Sports Cars. An exceptional field of prototypes built between 1963 and 1972, alongside GT cars manufactured between 1966 and 1980, took to the track to determine the starting grid for tomorrow's race.
In a battle decided by tenths of a second, Kyle Tilley and Phil Keen claimed pole position in their Chevron B19, relegating the Lola T70 Mk3B Spyder of Marc Devis and Nick Padmore to second place. Last year's winners, John Emberson and Billy Bellinger, will start third in their Chevron B19, completing a front three made up of cars in the H-1972 under 2000cc class. Alongside them will be the Lola T70 Mk3 Coupé of João Macedo Silva and Diogo Ferrão, the highest-placed Portuguese pairing in qualifying
What to Expect:
Saturday’s programme, on 31 October, promises a full day of competition and entertainment for motorsport enthusiasts, featuring six races. The action gets under way at 9:10am with the second race for the Equipe Sports Prototype cars, followed by the Historic Endurance 2, Carrera 80, Historic Endurance 1 and Single Seater Series races.
The highlight of the day is reserved for late afternoon, with the 300km Algarve Sports Cars. This two-hour endurance race will run from 3:40pm to 5:40pm, bringing the day to a spectacular close as the cars complete their final laps with their headlights on, recreating the atmosphere of classic international endurance racing.
Throughout the weekend, the Algarve Classic Festival will take spectators on a journey through the history of motorsport, bringing together cars from different eras in an atmosphere defined by nostalgia and the unmistakable sounds of historic racing machinery. The races can be watched live from 11:25am on the Race Ready YouTube channel.
Admission is free for children and young people aged 3 to 16. Tickets are available from the event's official website, algarveclassicfestival.org, with several options available: the 'Main Grandstand' ticket provides access to the main grandstand; the 'Paddock' ticket includes access to both the paddock and main grandstand; while the 'VIP Tower' ticket grants access to the VIP Tower, paddock and main grandstand.
