The fact Dorna Sports, the International Race Teams' Association and everyone else involved in ensuring MotoGP's running managed to get its full 14-race calendar completed in this coronavirus-hit year is a truly amazing feat near-impossible to offer enough gratitude for. That Dorna is capping off its maddest year at one of the world's wildest circuits is merely a very pleasing cherry on top.
MotoGP's first Portuguese Grand Prix since 2012 has taken the series from the butchered version of Estoril it last raced on to the rollercoaster Algarve International Circuit at Portimao.
It's undulating and fast layout has been a hit with the riders, despite the difficulties encountered in setting up a 300bhp MotoGP challenger to meet its demands. The circuit is a stark contrast to the technical-but-mostly-dull Ricardo Tormo track where MotoGP spent the previous two weeks - it's a bit like going from Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side of the Moon' to Motorhead's 'Ace of Spades' with your head buried in the speakers.