Brazil's president announces Rio will replace São Paulo in 2020

Exit Sao Paulo and Interlagos, and return to Rio de Janeiro in 2020? This is what Jair Bolsonaro, President of the Brazilian Republic, suggested during a press conference this Wednesday. 

Reuters reports that the head of state announced that a new autodrome would be built on military land located in the Deodoro district west of Rio city with the aim of hosting the Brazilian Grand Prix from 2020 . 

The latter would thus replace the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace of Interlagos in São Paulo, whose promoters have been at odds with the leaders of Liberty Media since they took power in early 2017. Bolsonaro affirms that the work will be spread over six or seven months and promises the creation of thousands of jobs by touting the economic boost that the new route will bring.

This announcement is a new step on the road to a return of F1 in Rio following the letter recently sent by Sean Bratches, F1's commercial director, to Wilson Witzel, governor of the state of Rio. 

The future track, of which the essential Hermann Tilke will oversee the construction, will occupy the site of certain Olympic installations, used during the last Summer Games in 2016. Ironically, these structures were built on the ruins of the historic circuit of Jacarepaguá, scene of the Brazilian Grand Prix in Rio in 1978, then from 1981 to 1989. 

In addition to Formula 1, officials from the City of Christ the Redeemer also hope to attract MotoGP, Witzel having also received a letter from DORNA, owner of the queen 2-wheel discipline.

Let us recall, however, that the declarations of Bolsonaro do not have the value of officialization. Contacted by AUTOhebdo, the FOM did not wish to comment on the situation. Finally, the current Interlagos contract runs until 2020, while the financing plan for the hypothetical future Rio circuit remains quite vague at the moment.