Autódromo do Estoril was built in 1972 on a rocky plateau near the village of Alcabideche. It hosted the Formula One Portuguese Grand Prix from 1984 to 1996, producing some of the era's most celebrated moments: Niki Lauda clinched his third world championship there in 1984; Ayrton Senna took his first Formula 1 victory in the wet in 1985; multiple victories followed for Jackie Stewart's legacy at the wheel, Alain Prost, and Michael Schumacher, who won in 1993. After Senna's death at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, a chicane was added to the Estoril layout as a safety measure. The circuit was dropped from the Formula 1 calendar from 1997.
The Estoril Classics was established as an annual fixture at the circuit. The 2024 edition was the eighth, held on 4–5 October 2024, with both three-day and Saturday tickets selling out. The 2025 edition, held on 3–5 October 2025, took place in the year of the 75th anniversary of the Formula 1 World Championship and assembled what was described as the largest F1 car collection in Portuguese history.
The 2024 field included a notable concentration of significant machinery. Two examples of the Tyrrell P34 — the six-wheeled Formula 1 car — competed together, an unusual occurrence given the rarity of surviving examples. Other cars present included the Porsche 935, Ferrari 512BB LM, Ford GT40, and Bizarrini 5300 GT.
In Classic GP qualifying, Mark Harrison driving a Shadow DN9B set the fastest time, edging Soheil Ayari by nine thousandths of a second. The Classic Touring category was won by John Spiers and Nigel Greensall in a Ford Mustang 289.
The Endurance Racing Legends sessions drew leading historic competitors. Dario Franchitti drove a Maserati MC12 GT1 in the first session; Sebastian Glaser set the pace in the second session in a Reynard Nasamax from 2004. The Sixties Endurance category was won by Erwin France in a Cobra Daytona Coupe.
Two cars with specific Portuguese connections competed in 2024. A Lotus Elise GT1 from the Hezemans family made its Estoril debut — the same car that competed in the 1997 FIA GT1 Championship. A Portuguese Saleen S7-R that had raced in the 2003 FIA GT Championship with Pedro Matos Chaves, Ni Amorim, and Miguel Ramos also returned to competition at the circuit. Ramos subsequently won the 2006 Italian GT Championship in a Maserati MC12 GT1 alongside Luca Cappelari for Racing Box.
The Estoril Classics operates at the intersection of historic motorsport and circuit heritage. The venue's Formula 1 history — including some of the sport's most celebrated championship moments from the 1980s and 1990s — gives the event a resonance beyond the machinery itself. For Portuguese motorsport, it provides a recurring annual moment for the country's own racing heritage to be shown alongside the wider European historic racing calendar.
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