The 2021 Formula 1 season continues as we head to Portimao for the ꦬPౠortuguese Grand Prix.

Portimaℱo hosted its first F1 race last season as one♚ of the races which was drafted in late due to the ongoing pandemic.

CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW mahbx.com's 😼LIVE F1 COVERAGE OF THE 2021 PORTUGUESE GRAND PRIX

Lewis Hamilton's victory at Por🌟tugal last season was the 92nd of his career - moving him one clear of Michaeꦆl Schumacher in ther all-time record books.

Looking ahe🎐ad to this year's race, only a point separates Hamilton and Red Bull's Max Verstappen at the top of ꦉthe championship.

With one victory each - the race for the 2021 drivers' title lo♛oks to be finely posted between F1's leading ♛duo.

Outs𝔉ide the top two teams, McLare🐷n sits third ahead of Ferrari.

Lando Norris has enjoyed an impressive start to theꦇ season - finishing third last time out at Imola.

What to expect from this weekend?

The weather 🐼is forecast to be dry across the three days of running at Portiℱmao.

Pirelli has nominated the C1, C2 and C3 tyres for this weekend - the hardest 𝓡three compounds in its tyre range for this season. 

Aheaꦦd of the weekend, Pirelli's head of F1, Mario Isola said: “Tyre 🦹management – and getting the harder compounds into their working windows – was an important theme of the Portimao race last year, for a number of reasons. But this year, with the possibility of different weather conditions and a track surface that might have evolved, it could be another challenge entirely.

“The new tyre construction has performed well during the first two races of 2021 and now the hardest compound in the range makes its debut. This range has been selected to cope with the unique demands that this circuit puts through the tyre, exacerbated i🅠n the event of warmer weather. Last year all three compounds were used during the race, with a variety of strategies and usage. Condit✱ions were cool and windy, with occasional light rain, while track conditions changed throughout the weekend.

“The new surface was the key factor determining low grip while in terms of tyre performance, warm-up and grai𓃲ning were two other relevant factors.”