Rio de Janeiro Cancels Plan to Host Brazilian Formula 1 Grand Prix Race

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL  – At a time when the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos was far from certain, rumors began to surface that the event could move to Brazil’s second-largest city, Rio de Janeiro.

The proposal was for a new track to be constructed there in the Camboata forest with an ambitious 2021 date set initially for its debut.

However, those plans, led by President Jair Bolsonaro and ex-mayor Marcelo Crivella, received stark criticism for their inevitable environmental impacts.

New centrist Mayor Eduardo Paes has now swiftly scrapped these plans, according to a report by Firstpost.com. “We need to be talking about recovering green spaces, not destroying them,” said city hall.

The report states that city hall announced “it had instructed the Rio de Janeiro state environmental institute (Ipea) to shelve the permitting process for the race track”.

“This process was being led by city hall, and we are now formally saying we will not be pursuing it further,” a city official told news agency AFP.