In addition to Paulo Gonçalves, this weekend was also synonymous with the disappearance of another important name in Portuguese motorsport: Fernanda Pires da Silva, the “mother” of the Autodromo do Estoril.
The news was released on Saturday by the newspaper Expresso, reporting that the 93-year-old businesswoman had died that day.
President of the Grão-Pará group, Fernanda Pires da Silva will always be remembered for a work that gave a lot to national motor sport: the Estoril Autodrome.
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Responsible for building the racecourse in the early 1970s, Fernanda Pires da Silva went even further: she used her own capital to build what was once the home of Formula 1 in our country.
Today, the racetrack that the businesswoman devised shares its name with her, and serves as the greatest memory of the work of Fernanda Pires da Silva, who was dedicated to the tourism and real estate sectors.
The president of the Grão-Pará group also saw her work recognized with the Civil Order of Agricultural and Industrial Merit during the presidency of Jorge Sampaio, having later been decorated as Grand Officer of the Order of Merit. Finally, on March 11, 2000, Fernanda Pires da Silva was also elevated to the Grand Cross of the same Order.