The Circuito Internacional de Vila Real is a 4.785km (02.973miles) temporary street circuit in Vila Real, Portugal. This circuit was used for car and motorbike races.
The circuit layout has suffered several changes through the times. Started as a 7.37km (04.58miles) street circuit in 1931, it was later reduced to a 6.925km (04.303miles) 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 4.785km (02.973miles) 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's considered one of the most challenging tracks, due to its corners, high speed and drivers being very close to the barriers.[4]
As of July 2022, the fastest official race lap records at the Circuito Internacional de Vila Real are listed as:
| Category | Time | Driver | Vehicle | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urban Circuit: 4.785 km (2007–present) | ||||
| 1:57.929[5] | 2017 FIA WTCC Race of Portugal | |||
| 2:01.525[6] | 2022 FIA WTCR Race of Portugal | |||
| 2:02.852[7] | 2023 Vila Real CPV round | |||
| 2:04.903[8] | 2016 Vila Real ETC round | |||
| 2:19.656[9] | 2016 Vila Real ETC round | |||
| Old Urban Circuit: 6.925 km (1958–1991) | ||||
| 2:19.920[10] | 1973 Vila Real International race | |||
| 2:27.240[11] | 1971 Vila Real sports car race | |||
| 2:28.900[12] | 1969 Vila Real 6 Hours | |||
| 2:33.620[13] | 1968 Vila Real European F3 round | |||
| 2:40.900[14] | 1981 Vila Real Group 5 race | |||
| 2:55.000[15] | 1958 Vila Real sports car race | |||
| Original Urban Circuit: 7.200 km (1933–1953) | ||||
| 3:51.750[16] | 1951 Vila Real sports car race | |||
| 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 Ford | Sports |
| 1973 | 20th | Carlos Gaspar | Lola T292 Ford | 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 João Figueiredo | Audi R8 LMS | GT | ||
| 2014 | 44th | Pedro Salvador Carlos Vieira | Tatuus PY012 | Sports prototypes |
| Pedro Salvador Carlos Vieira | 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 | |||